Telangana Assembly Elections 2023: Voting Underway For 119 Seats As BRS Seeks Third Term; BJP And Congress Eye Big Gains

The polling for 119 seats in Telangana Assembly is underway, marking the final voting in five states, including Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, MP and Rajasthan.

Around 3.26 crore voters in Telangana will determine the fate of 2,290 candidates in the fray for 119 seats.

Of the total 3.26 crore eligible voters in Telangana, 1,63,13,268 are male voters and 1,63,02,261 female electors.

About 77,000 security personnel, comprising state police and Home Guards drawn from the state and neighbouring states, besides 375 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), have been deployed across the state as part of the security arrangements for the election.

Results for Telangana, along with those for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram, where voting occurred between 7 November and 25 November, will be announced on 3 December. 

The ruling BRS has candidates in all 119 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jana Sena, led by actor Pawan Kalyan, are contesting in 111 and 8 seats respectively.

Additionally, the Congress has allocated one seat to its ally, the Communist Party of India (CPI), while fielding candidates in 118 other constituencies.

The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and its rivals, Congress and BJP, ran an intense campaign to woo the voters of the state.

While the BRS is trying to retain power for a third consecutive term overcoming the anti-incumbency, the Congress is fighting to form its government in the state. The BJP, on the other hand, is leaving no stone unturned to expand its presence in another Southern state.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the people of Telangana to vote in record numbers.

"I call upon my sisters and brothers of Telangana to vote in record numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy. I particularly urge young and first time voters to exercise their franchise," PM Modi said on X.