Over 3.17 crore voters are eligible to vote in Telangana across all 17 Lok Sabha constituencies on May 13. The Election Commission has made extensive arrangements for the smooth conduct of the elections. Additionally, polling will take place for the by-election of the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly constituency in Hyderabad.
The eligible voters in the state total 3,17,17,389, comprising 1,58,71,493 men, 1,58,43,339 women, and 2,557 third-gender individuals. According to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj, 20,163 voters have opted for home voting, while more than 1.88 lakh employees on poll duty have used postal ballots. A total of 35,809 polling stations have been established statewide.
A total of 2.94 lakh personnel, including nearly a hundred thousand security personnel, will be on poll duty. There are 525 candidates contesting, with Secunderabad constituency having the highest number of candidates at 45. Key candidates include Union Minister and State BJP President G. Kishan Reddy seeking re-election from Secunderabad, AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi running for a fifth term from Hyderabad, and BJP National General Secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar contesting from Karimnagar.
Polling will take place from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in 106 Assembly segments, with extended hours in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas. Telangana had a 71.34% turnout during the previous Assembly elections and extensive security measures are in place, with 160 companies of central forces deployed. Furthermore, 1,05,019 Balloting Units, 44,569 Control Units, and 48,134 VVPATs have been deployed for voting. The Model Code of Conduct violations have led to 8,600 filed cases, with cash and freebies worth Rs. 320.84 crores seized by enforcement agencies.
To oversee the process, there will be 1.96 lakh polling personnel, 3,522 sector officers, route officers, and 12,909 micro-observers appointed. Despite the ban on election-related bulk SMSs post-campaign, preparations are in place for a successful polling day.
