25.34 is the polling percentage reported till 3 pm
Repoll will be done in 69 stations of Ward-26, Old Malakpet on December 3as the Telangana Election Commission prints CPI(M)'s hammer, sickle, star symbol instead of the CPI's sickle and corn. Because of the repoll, no exit polls telecast/publication till 6 PM Thursday.
Home Minister of Telangana Mohammed Mahmood Ali casts his vote at the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections.
"If you don't vote today, you lose your right to question tomorrow. It's sad that there was no one except us at the polling booth. I request you all to please come and vote. I came all the way from my shooting in Araku valley only to vote," appealed famous Telugu film actor Rajendra Prasad.
Battle for Hyderabad: Polling underway in civic polls
Once a major force in the state, but marginalised now, the TDP sought to revive its fortunes highlighting the development witnessed in the city, including in the IT sector, during N Chandrababu Naidu''s regime as chief minister in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Voter turnout at 11 am stands at8.9 per cent. Meanwhile,Telugu film celebrities appealed to Hyderabadis to come out and vote.
Voter turnout remained low in the Hyderabad civic body polls until 11 am. Turnout at many polling stations, especially those that are in the IT corridor, sector employees residential areas, has not been enthusiastic. Credit: DH Photo/PN
A bad loss in the GHMC elections could dent the TRS' image and bolster the opposition to step up its campaign against the ruling party. The Congress campaign was led by its state president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and working president A Revanth Reddy and other senior leaders.
During the campaign, the BJP highlighted the TRS' "alliance" with the AIMIM and sought votes to provide clean and transparent governance in the city. The TRS, however, denied any alliance with the AIMIM. The TRS' campaign was led by its working president and state Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao, while party supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao addressed a public meeting.
Buoyed by its victory in the recent bypoll to Dubbak Assembly constituency, the BJP conducted a powerful campaign to win the GHMC polls, to boost its chances in the assembly elections in 2023.
The main contest in the poll is among the ruling TRS, opposition BJP and the Congress. The run-up to the polling witnessed a high decibel and often acrimonious campaign.
Union MoS (Home) G Kishan Reddy, ruling TRS working president and Telangana Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao and actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi were among the early voters. Talking to reporters, both Kishan Reddy and Rama Rao appealed to the electors to vote without fail.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has expressed shock over the sudden demise of MLA Nomula Narasimhaiah. The CM said Narasimhaiah would be remembered as the leader who worked for the people throughout his life. "The death of Narasimhaiah would be a loss to the TRS party and the people in his constituency," the CM said while conveying his condolences to members of the bereaved family.
Meanwhile, ruling TRS MLA Nomula Narsimhaiah passed away this morning. He was unwell for some time, and was undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Hyderabad. The two-time CPM MLA had joined the TRS in 2013 and won from Nagarjuna Sagar constituency in 2018.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi casts his vote. He appeals to Hyderabadis to vote andimprove the polling percentage. The city civic polls registered only 45 per cent voting in 2016.
BJP, TRS engage in accusations day before GHMC polls
The BJP and TRS were engaged in accusations and counter-charges on Monday, a day before the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls. Arrangements are made for the 74.67 lakh registered voters in the city to exercise their franchise on Tuesday to elect the new civic body of 150 wards from among the 1122 candidates.
The Commission had decided to conduct the election with ballot papers after obtaining the views of major political parties, Health department in view of Covid-19 and taking into consideration various relevant issues, it said earlier.
The Telangana State Election Commission (SEC) has made elaborate arrangements for the balloting process by deploying 48,000 (including reserve) polling personnel and 52,500 strong police force.
As many as 74,44,260 voters would exercise their franchise using ballot papers to elect their representatives in the 150-ward Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), according to official data.
Good morning readers,voting for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is underway. The civic body polls dubbed “gully vs Delhi fight” by the TRS leaders, saw an unprecedented level of campaigning from the BJP involving its top guns including party chief JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah. Stay tuned for live updates.
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