Hyderabad: Telangana municipal election polling began across the state on Wednesday under tight security, with officials opening voting at 7 am in all polling stations.
Polling staff completed preparatory formalities before the start. Officials displayed candidate lists and polling station limits outside each centre. At 6.30 am, they showed empty ballot boxes to polling agents and sealed them with paper seals and address tags. Presiding officers and agents signed the proceedings soon after.
Officials allowed voters to enter polling stations exactly at 7 am. Polling will continue until 5 pm. However, authorities will permit voters already inside the premises to cast their votes even after the deadline if queues remain.
The State Election Commission set up 8,191 polling stations across Telangana. It arranged webcasting facilities at every centre to ensure continuous monitoring. Moreover, it deployed 41,773 polling personnel to manage the process and placed 16,382 ballot boxes for voting.
Telangana municipal election polling covers 2,981 wards
Telangana municipal election polling is underway in 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations. The exercise covers 2,981 wards and divisions across the state.
A total of 12,944 candidates are contesting the elections. As many as 51,17,413 voters will decide their fate. The electorate includes 26,67,025 women voters and 25,49,750 male voters. In addition, 638 voters fall under the ‘others’ category.
All major political parties treated the polls as a prestige battle. The Congress fielded 2,948 candidates, while the BRS put up 2,879 nominees. Similarly, the BJP contested 2,634 seats and Jana Sena fielded 332 candidates. AIMIM entered 282 candidates, and others, including independents, accounted for 3,034 contestants.
Officials scheduled counting of votes for the 13th of this month. Subsequently, indirect elections for mayors, deputy mayors, municipal chairpersons and vice-chairpersons will take place on the 16th.
