Polling has begun in all 119 Assembly constituencies in Telangana. Though there were reports about minor technical snags, they have been immediately addressed and rectified. Earlier, the poll staff held mock poling. The youngest state of the country is voting to elect representatives for the third time since its formation in 2014. A total 2 lakh 8 thousand poll staff have been deployed for today’s polling.
Over 3 crore 26 lakh electors are going to vote at 35 thousand 655 polling stations. A total 2290 candidates from over 100 parties including a huge number of Independents are in the fray. The state is witnessing a triangular battle between the incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led by chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Congress, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BRS is trying to retain power for a third consecutive term, while the Congress has been fighting tooth and nail and the BJP has left no stone unturned to get to power. BRS has fielded candidates in all 119 seats. As per the seat sharing agreement, BJP is contesting in 111 while its ally in the fray in 8 seats. The Congress gave one seat to its ally CPI(M). Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM has put up candidates in nine segments in the city. BSP is contesting in 106 constituencies.
Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj informed that section 144 has been in force in the state till the poling is over. He appealed to voters to come out for casting their vote and be away from any kind of inducements. Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is casting his vote along with family at Chntamadka in Gajwel. PCC President Revanth Reddy is casting his vote in Kodangal constituency.