AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi will meet caretaker Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao at 1.30 pm today: ANI
Polling in Telangana has concluded. Meanwhile, the exit poll results for all five states are out.
Who is likely to win the battle inTelangana?Find out here.
BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi after meeting Election Commission:
We've demanded immediate action against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for influencing voters through paid news under the garb of his interview in a Hyderabad newspaper on 6 December.
Ban on exit polls till 5.30 pm
The Election Commission has announced a ban on exit polls for all 5 states till 5.30 pm
TRS will come back to power with huge majority: KCR
TRS president K Chandrashekar Rao on December 7 exuded confidence that his party would come back to power in Telangana with a "huge majority". There is a "very, very positive" mood among voters towards the party, KCR told reporters at his native village Chintamadaka on Friday.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is going alone in the polls.The principal challenger to TRS in the polls is the 'People's Front' forged by Congress, TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS). The BJP is also going alone.
Congress' candidate from Kalwakurthy allegedly attacked by unidentified assailants
Congress' candidate from Kalwakurthy, ChallaVamshiChandReddy was allegedly attacked earlier today, news agency ANI has reported. The attackers are yet to be identified. Reddy was later shifted to Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in Hyderabad and is out of danger, the news agency has reported.
TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao on December 7 exuded confidence that his party would come back to power in Telangana with a "huge majority." There is a "very, very positive" mood among voters towards the party, KCR, as Rao is popularly known as, told reporters at his native village Chintamadaka where he cast his vote in the Assembly polls.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is going alone in the polls.
Over Rs 3.50 crore in cash wasseized from a van in Warangal district on the eve of the assembly polls in Telangana on December 6.
The cash was to be delivered allegedly to some political leaders for distribution to influence voters, the police said. Acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted the van moving suspiciously on Wednesday night and checked the vehicle.
The check yielded the amount and the person in the van, who was detained. (PTI)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi urges party workers to ensure Congress victory
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on December 6 urged party workers in Rajasthan and Telangana to put all their efforts at their respective polling booths to ensure the party's win in both the states.
In his audio message to the workers of Rajasthan, Gandhi told them that they have to defeat the BJP by taking people to the polling booths and make the Congress win.
Non-Congress, non-BJP govt of regional parties should come to power after LS polls: Asaduddin Owaisi
Alleging that the Congress and BJP have not been able to reflect the country's diversity, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said a non-Congress, non-BJP government of regional parties should come to power after the next Lok Sabha elections.
Saying India's politics cannot be bipolar, he claimed that the country's diversity is not being reflected by the BJP and the Congress.
"That's why I am of the opinion that this pluralism, diversity has to be reflected by regional parties coming together. Definitely,I am of the opinion that this country deserves a non-Congress, non-BJP government," he had said.
The Congress and BJP have not been able to deliver on governance, federalism and every aspect of what they promised, he alleged.
Opinion | Will TRS' attempt to fan Telangana sentiments pay dividends?
To make the voter insecure, K Chandrashekar Rao cautioned that if the grand alliance came to power, N Chandarababu Naidu would rule Telangana from Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh's new capital... Read More
Over Rs 3.50 crore meant for voters seized
Over Rs 3.50 crore in cash has been seized from a van in Warangal district on the eve of the assembly polls in Telangana, police said on December 6.
The cash was to be delivered allegedly to some political leaders for distribution to influence voters, the police said.
Acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted the van moving suspiciously on Wednesday night and checked the vehicle. The check yielded the amount and the person in the van, who was detained, was identified as F Reddy, known to a contesting candidate of Wardhannapet assembly constituency, the police said.
TRS pooh-poohs Yogi Adityanath's pitch on renaming Karimnagar
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti(TRS) pooh-poohed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's statement on renaming Karimnagar if the BJP came to power in Telangana, saying it's a non-issue.
Addressing an election rally on December 5 at Karimnagar in the poll-bound Telangana, Adityanath said: "If the BJP comes to power in Telangana then BJP will work for renaming Karimnagar district into 'Karipuram' and respect your sentiments."
"That's nobody's agenda in Karimnagar," the Deputy Leader of TRS in Lok Sabha, B Vinod Kumar, retorted on Adityanath's renaming pitch.
"It's his (Adityanath's) own fascination. It's in nobody's thoughts in Karimnagar. No body asked for it (renaming). It's for the first time that I have heard (somebody favouring name change)," the Karimnagar MP said.
Telangana DGP Mahinder Reddy said polling is going on peacefully across the state
PV Sindhu returns without casting her vote
Shuttler PV Sindhu had to return without casting her vote since the EVM was malfunctioning, thus delaying polling process in Kokapet in Hyderabad. She said she will come back later in the day after her practice session, The Hindu reported.
PV Sindhu returns without casting her vote
Shuttler PV Sindhu had to return without casting her vote since the EVM was malfunctioning, thus delaying polling process in Kokapet in Hyderabad. She said she will come back later in the day after her practice session, The Hindu reported.
KTR casts vote in Jubilee Hills
KT Rama Raoarrives to cast his ballot in Hyderabad. "I think people will vote for their own state, I hope they turn out in large numbers," said the TRS leader.
Telangana assembly was dissolved in September
The Telangana legislative assembly was dissolved in September — eight months before the expiry of its term.
The previous assembly elections were held soon after Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in June 2014. Back then, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao had led his party to a decisive victory — winning 63 seats out of 119 with a vote share of 34 per cent. In the years that followed, the regional party managed to lure legislators from opposition ranks until its seat share rose to a formidable 90.
Rao hopes to achieve similar success this time. It is believed that his decision to dissolve the assembly early was aimed at taking up the electoral challenge while he still holds people's favour.
The elections are expected to be a close contest between KCR's Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the opposition Congress-led Prajakutami.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is contesting all seats on its own, is the third key force in some constituencies.
The Bahujan Left Front (BLD), led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), are also contesting from majority of the seats.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is contesting eight seats in Hyderabad.
Rohingyas warned against voting using fake ID cards
Rohingyas who turn up at polling stations to vote by obtaining voter ID cards fraudulently would be arrested and sent to prison, the police warned on December 6.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has identified 105 Rohingyas under its limits who have obtained Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) by enrolling themselves as voters by giving a false declaration stating that they are citizens of India, a civic body official said.
"If any Rohingya is found to have obtained EPIC and turns up at the polling booth on December 7, we will arrest that person without any hesitation," Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar told PTI.
Download c-Vigil to complain against poll violations in Telangana
For the first time, software skills are being extensively used for Telangana polls. By downloading c-Vigil, anyone can lodge a complaint online against violations. Also, by using Naa Votu App, a voter can trace his polling stations, while Suvidha and Sugam were used as single- window facility to get permission for meetings and utilising vehicles, Economic Times reported.
So far, 8,071 complaints have been received through c-Vigil and 5,872 disposed of, says Telangana chief election commissioner Rajath Kumar.
A round-the-clock watch over the arrangements and code violations as listed in c-Vigil, is being kept through the dedicated monitoring cell activated in at the CEC's office on Thursday, manned by 17 Nodal Officers.
Telangana Assembly Polls 2018: Lost in translation? Congress faces odd, but old, problem
The Congress in Telangana is facing an odd, if not entirely new, problem: its message doesn't seem to be reaching the masses — in a classic case of lost in translation.
For instance, on December 3, during a rally in Gadwal, Congress President Rahul Gandhi had reportedly said the BJP had waived loans worth Rs 3 lakh crore for 15 rich industrialists, but the Congress will waive off the same amount for farmers. Gandhi's translator on stage and Gadwal constituency candidate, DK Aruna, however, reportedly translated it as "BJP waived off loans worth Rs 3 lakh crore for 15 lakh farmers, and Congress will waive the loans of farmers too."
Similarly, during a public address in Kosgi, Ravanth Reddy, the party's working president, had reportedly translated Gandhi's "Telangana is in debt" statement as "Telangana is in profit".
State Congress leaders have realised that for speeches to get translated into votes, effective translators are a necessary factor. Telangana Congress General Secretary T Niranjan, however, said it is not that big a problem.
Click here to read full story.
My name is missing from voter's list, tweets badminton player Jwala Gutta
Badminton player Jwala Gutta took to Twitter to say her name had disappeared from the voters' list after she checked it online.
TRS, BJP workers come to blows at Indiranagar polling station
Former minister and TRS candidate from Khairatabad, Danam Nagender, came to Indiranagar polling station wearing a pink scarf, symbolisingthe party colour. When a BJP agent objected to it, TRS workers thrashed him. BJP candidate Ch Ramachandra Reddy has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission as well as the police, news reports stated.
EVMs malfunction in Hayathnagar, voters sent back
At one of the polling stations at Hayathnagar in Ranga Reddy district, voters were sent back as polling could not commence due to malfunctioning EVMs.
Telugu actors cast votes
Actors Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Allu Arjun cast their votes at the Jubilee Hills polling station.
Andhra Pradesh govt declares holiday for secretariat employees
The Andhra Pradesh government declared a holiday for secretariat employees and those attached to heads of departments who shifted from Hyderabad to Amaravati after capital location to participate in Telangana polls, Hindustan Times reported.
Over 3,000 employees are expected to exercise their franchise.
1.39 crore female voters registered
Out of a total 2,80,64,684 voters registered in the state’s electoral roll, 1,41,56,182 are males while 1,39,05,811 are females.
Polling at Kodangal delayed by an hour
Due to a technical glitch, polling in Kodangal booth began an hour late.
Former minister and Bahujan Left Front candidate Mothkupalli Narsimhulu suffers heart attack
Former minister and Bahujan Left Front candidate Mothkupalli Narsimhulu from Alair constituency suffered a heart attack, and has been shifted to Hyderabad after initial treatment at Bhongir government hospital, according to news reports.
Opinion | Assembly Elections 2018: Why Telangana results matter more
The Telangana results will show how much of a factor the BJP is in the state — after all, it is contesting 118 of the 119 seats. This election will also show if statehood sentiments are still an electoral factor the way they were in 2014.
It will determine the fate of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), and that of the grand alliance. It is these two factors that make the state results critical.
For the TRS, it’s a do-or-die battle. If K Chandrashekar Rao wins a second term, not only will he consolidate his position in India’s newest state, but will also get the momentum to form an anti-BJP, anti-Congress alliance for the general elections. This will increase Rao’s relevance in New Delhi.
If booted out of power, KCR will have little political turf left. He will be approaching the 2019 polls on the back foot and would even be forced to turn to the BJP.
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Highest number of contestants in Malkajgiri constituency
In all, 1,821 candidates of different political parties are in the fray along with a few independents. Malkajgiri constituency has the highest number of contestants (42) and Banswada the least (6), Hindustan Times reported.
44,415 ballot units being used
A total of 44,415 ballot units, 7,557 reserve ballot units, 32,016 control units, 4,432 reserve control units and 32,016 VVPATs and 5,261 reserve VVPATs are being used for the polling.
State irrigation minister casts vote
State Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao casts his vote in polling booth no. 102 in Siddipet constituency. Rao's 'colourful campaigning' had become the talk of the town two days ago when scores of cultural troupes playing music or dancing, tribals depicting who they are, mythological characters coming alive, and deities walking in a troop – all came on the streets of Siddipet for the irrigation minister’s election campaign, CNN-News18 reported.
It's Prajakutami Vs TRS
The Congress has stitched together "Prajakutami" (People's Front) along with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) and the CPI to take on the ruling TRS, led by caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).
The TRS, seeking a second term in office, is going alone, as also the BJP.
While KCR was, without doubt, the star campaigner for TRS, the Congress and the BJP fielded their bigwigs for campaigning which turned out to be a shrill one. For the Congress, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party president Rahul Gandhi addressed election rallies. The BJP relied on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and national president Amit Shah.
Gandhi also addressed joint meetings with TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. "We will win 100 seats", KCR repeatedly said in campaign meetings. Rahul Gandhi said the Congress-led alliance is confident of winning the elections "hands-down" and claimed that KCR was showing "signs of nervousness and insecurity" in recent campaign meetings he addressed.
Early glitches reported from Hyderabad
Voting is yet to begin at the polling station at GHMC Indoor Stadium, Amberpet due to a technical problem, ANI reported. Voting in the state began at 7 am today.
BJP President Amit Shah on Twitter:
I appeal to my sisters and brothers of Telangana to come out and vote in large numbers for a appeasement-free and development-oriented government.I specially urge my young friends to participate in this biggest festival of democracy without fail.
Voting in Telanganahas begun.
Voting in all for Telangana's 119 constituencies is expected to begin shortly. Polling will go on till 5.00 pm except for13 constituencies classified as Left-wing extremism affected where it will end at 4.00 pm.
Here’s how Muslims could play a crucial role in the polls
All political parties were fighting hard to woo the Muslim voters. Muslims are expected to play a crucial role in the assembly election.
The community constitute around 12.7 percent of the state's population, according to 2011 Census data.
Here’s an analysis of how the alliance could benefit Congress and TDP, based on 2014 poll data
Arithmetically, the Prajakutami is on strong footing. In the 2014 assembly elections, Congress and TDP had a vote share of 25 percent and 15 percent, respectively. The combined vote share of 40 percent would have trumped TRS’ vote share of 34 percent, thereby significantly altering the seat share.
Flying squads, surveillance teams to monitor situation
As many as 446 flying squads are in the state to swing into action if any irregularity is reported and 448 static surveillance teams will also keep a watch on the situation. They would wait in the wings to take action.
Besides that, 224 video surveillance teams and 133 video-viewing teams have been pressed into service. There were 126 assistant expenditure observers and 123 accounting teams.
EC's plan for Left-wing extremism affected areas
According to an Election Commission (EC) notification, 13 of the 119 Assembly segments have been identified as sensitive to Left-wing extremism (LWE).
"Special arrangements have been made for Left Wing Extremist areas bordering Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Combing operations and area domination exercises have been carried out extensively to prevent untoward incidents. State and central security forces have also been deployed and adequate measures taken," an official said, according to a PTI report.
Air ambulance and helicopters are being arranged by the election authorities for any contingency at strategic locations.
Security deployment
Additional DG (Law and Order) Jitender yesterday told news agency PTI that about one lakh police personnel, including 25,000 central security forces and 20,000 from other states, are engaged in poll duties.
A senior police official said security was beefed up at bordering areas which were identified as Left Wing Extremist-affected regions.
