Officials are getting ready ahead of the counting the votes at AV College, Domalguda, which is one among the 49 counting centres across the state, in Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: G. Ramakrishna
Amid much expectations, counting of votes for 119 Assembly constituencies in Telangana began on Sunday, December 3, 2023 morning.
With a tight security around the counting centres in all the 33 districts, officials first took up counting of postal ballots. As of 9 am, the counting of first round of votes through the EVM’s is on and the trends are expected around 11 am.
Speaking to the media here, Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj said: “Postal ballot counting has started everywhere. Counting of votes from EVMs will begin at 8.30. All arrangements are in place.”
On the irregularity in Ibrahimpatnam Returning Office, he said :”Complaints were received regarding Ibrahimpatnam issue. The District Election Officer has visited the place and inquired. The total postal ballot account was shown to all the candidates and they were satisfied.”
In the triangular contest in the elections, Congress is fancied to wrest the honours from the ruling BRS. The BJP it appears has already given up its stake to power without putting up any resistance if the exit polls are any indications. All exit polls have given a thumbs up for the Congress party with clear number of seats. The BRS too his hopeful that it will retain power.
In the prestigious elections for the BRS, which aims at scoring a hat-trick under the leadership of party President and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao tried to drive down the need for a stable government. The six-guarantees of the Congress party extensively publicised by the top leaders too had its share of traction from the voters.
The polling on November 30 saw a voter turn out of 71.34 per cent out of the 3.26 crore voters. State Capital Hyderabad and its suburbs recorded poor voter turn out once again showing the apathy of the urban electorate.
There are as many as 2,290 candidates in the fray. The fate of CM KCR will be decided in Gajwel and Kamareddy. TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy is in the fray from Kodangal and Kamareddy and CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka is the Congress candidate in Madhira.
BRS senior leaders such as KTRama Rao is testing his luck in Sircilla and T. Harish Rao (Siddipet). The BJP top guns Bandi Sanjay is contesting from Karimnagar, Etela Rajender from Huzurabad and Gajwel, Akbaruddin Owaisi of the AIMIM from Chandrayangutta, BSP chief Dr. RS Praveen Kumar (Sirpur) and CPI state secretary Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao (Kothagudem).
