Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, film actors Chiranjeevi, Allu Arjun and Junior NTR were among the prominent persons who exercised their franchise in the Lok Sabha elections on Monday.

BJP's general secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar and the party's Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate K Madhavi Latha also cast their votes.

Polling for the 17 Lok Sabha seats, which began at 7 am will end by 6 pm barring at a few places where it will conclude two hours earlier.

The Election Commission has also made arrangements to conduct a bypoll for the Secunderabad (Cantonment) Assembly seat to be held simultaneously today.

"Several voters including some senior citizens cast their votes. People, in large numbers, are coming out to vote. I am requesting the people to come and exercise their franchise for democracy and the country's security," Kishan Reddy told reporters after casting his vote.

Reddy said the voters should not treat polling day as a holiday.

Owaisi, whose birthday happens to be today, said the country is bigger than any individual and people should vote for the country.

"The country is bigger than any individual. Don't vote for an individual and vote for the country and vote for a party," the AIMIM leader said.

Replying to a query, he said he never celebrated his birthday and today is a special day for him because it is a day of democracy.

"It is a day for people to come out and show their likes and dislikes in the form of voting. That way it is a very special (day)," he added.

As many as 625 candidates, including Union Minister and Telangana BJP chief Kishan Reddy, Bandi Sanjay Kumar and senior leader Etala Rajender are among the saffron party's candidates while the Congress has fielded among others, BRS turncoats Danam Nagender and K Kavya.

Asaduddin Owaisi is seeking re-election from the party's bastion- Hyderabad- and is pitted against BJP's Madhavi Latha, a political novice, who ran a spirited campaign. Former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar and sitting MP Nama Nageswar Rao, among others, are in the poll fray from former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS.

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