T'gana polls: 7.78% voter turnout till 9 AM, leaders appeal to people to vote

Hyderabad: Around 7.78 per cent voters turned up to vote till 9 AM in the election to the 119-member Telangana Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

Union Minister and state BJP president G Kishan Reddy, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao, his sister and MLC Kavitha, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi were among leaders who exercised their franchise in the initial hours of polling, which began at 7 AM.

Several film personalities, including Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh and Allu Arjun also cast their ballot.

Hailing India's democracy, Kishan Reddy, president of BJP in Telangana, said one does not get the right to criticise the political system without fulfilling the responsibility of voting.

Finding fault with the distribution of money and liquor to lure voters, he urged the electorate to vote fearlessly and without being influenced by any inducements.

Noting that he has fulfilled his duty as a citizen, Rama Rao asked people of Telangana to step out and exercise their franchise in large numbers.

Referring to urban apathy witnessed in the state earlier, he said, 'Only those who show up count and the rest don't in a democracy.' Kavitha, daughter of BRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, cast her vote in Banjara Hills here.

"I sincerely request everybody in Telangana to come out and exercise their right. Because when you vote you have the right to question us. When you vote, you can hold the politicians accountable," she said.

Owaisi, who voted at a school in Rajendranagar Assembly constituency, also urged the voters to come out and cast their vote.

"We are hopeful that we (AIMIM) will do well. Now it is for the people to come out to vote in thousands and lakhs and exercise the right to vote so that you reward those candidates and parties who have been working for you, who have great concern for you," he said.

State Congress president and MP A Revanth Reddy voted in the Kodangal assembly segment where he is the party's candidate.

Congress said it brought to the notice of Chief Electoral officer Vikas Raj alleged violation of poll code by BRS leader Kavitha by making an appeal to the people to vote for BRS.