• 52 per cent voted in Telangana till 3pm, polling ends peacefully in left wing extremism-hit areas: PTI

• As of 1pm on Thursday, 36.68 per cent voters had cast their votes, Election Commission officials said: PTI

• Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj told reporters polling was peaceful, except for minor skirmishes at one or two places. Observing that voter turnout was low in urban areas, he hoped it would pick up as the day progressed. EVMs had to be changed at a couple of places, he added.

• As of 11am on Thursday, 20.64 per cent voters had cast their votes, Election Commission officials said: PTI

Polling concluded peacefully in the 13 assembly segments affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in Telangana at 4 PM on Thursday, officials said, adding that 51.89 per cent votes were cast by 3 PM in the total 119 constituencies in the state.

While polling was to conclude at 4 PM in the LWE-affected constituencies, those who were in queue at closing time were allowed to cast their vote.

There were no untoward incidents in these areas, a senior police official told PTI.

Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj told reporters that polling went about with any problems, except for minor skirmishes at one or two places.

Voters queue up in good numbers

Voters queued up in good numbers across Telangana to seal the fate of nearly 2,500 MLA aspirants in the polling being held for 119 Assembly segments in the state, where the BRS aims to retain power for a third time while the Congress is keen to upset the ruling party's chances, reports PTI.

The BJP, also keen on forming its first government in the southern state, has left no stone unturned to ensure victory and had deployed a battery of national leaders and Chief Ministers of the saffron-party ruled states to reach out to the public during the 50-day long campaigning.

The BRS has been in the ruling saddle since 2014, following grant of statehood to Telangana.

7.78 per cent voter turnout till 9am

Around 7.78 per cent voters turned up to vote till 9 AM in the election to the 119-member Telangana Legislative Assembly on Thursday, reports PTI.

Union Minister and state BJP president G Kishan Reddy, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao, his sister and MLC Kavitha, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi were among leaders who exercised their franchise in the initial hours of polling, which began at 7 AM.

Several film personalities, including Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh and Allu Arjun also cast their ballot.

Hailing India's democracy, Kishan Reddy, president of BJP in Telangana, said one does not get the right to criticise the political system without fulfilling the responsibility of voting.

Finding fault with the distribution of money and liquor to lure voters, he urged the electorate to vote fearlessly and without being influenced by any inducements.

Noting that he has fulfilled his duty as a citizen, Rama Rao asked people of Telangana to step out and exercise their franchise in large numbers.

Referring to urban apathy witnessed in the state earlier, he said, "Only those who show up count and the rest don't in a democracy." Kavitha, daughter of BRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, cast her vote in Banjara Hills here.

"I sincerely request everybody in Telangana to come out and exercise their right. Because when you vote you have the right to question us. When you vote, you can hold the politicians accountable," she said.

Owaisi, who voted at a school in Rajendranagar Assembly constituency, also urged the voters to come out and cast their vote.

"We are hopeful that we (AIMIM) will do well. Now it is for the people to come out to vote in thousands and lakhs and exercise the right to vote so that you reward those candidates and parties who have been working for you, who have great concern for you," he said.

State Congress president and MP A Revanth Reddy voted in the Kodangal assembly segment where he is the party's candidate.

Congress said it brought to the notice of Chief Electoral officer Vikas Raj alleged violation of poll code by BRS leader Kavitha by making an appeal to the people to vote for BRS.

Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao casts vote in native village

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his wife Sobha cast their ballot in Chinramadaka village in Siddipet district.

He greeted some of the people gathered at the polling station.

The CM addressed as many as 96 public meetings for BRS during the campaign period till November 28.

Polling underway for 119 assembly seats in Telangana

Polling is underway to elect 119 members of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, with voters queuing up to exercise their franchise amid tight security on Thursday, reports PTI

Voting began at 7 AM in the 35,655 polling stations across the state, officials said.

Polling would be held till 5 PM in 106 constituencies, while it would conclude at 4 PM in 13 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected seats.

There are 3.26 crore eligible voters, including 1,63,13,268 male voters and 1,63,02,261 female electors, in the state.

As many as 2,290 contestants are in the fray for the upcoming elections, including Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, his minister-son K T Rama Rao, state Congress president A Revanth Reddy and BJP Lok Sabha members Bandi Sanjay Kumar and D Arvind.

The model code of conduct came into force in the state after the Election Commission announced the schedule on October 9.

BRS has fielded candidates in all 119 seats.

As per the seat sharing agreement, BJP and actor Pawan Kalyan-headed Jana Sena are contesting in 111 and 8 seats respectively.

The Congress has given one seat to its ally CPI, and is fighting from 118 others.

Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM has put up candidates in nine segments in the city.

More than 2.5 lakh staff will be engaged in poll duties for the assembly elections, Chief Electoral officer Vikas Raj has said.

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.

For the first time in Telangana, home voting facility was provided to persons with disabilities and voters above 80 years.

As on November 29, law enforcement agencies have seized cash, gold, liquor, freebies among others all worth about Rs 745 crore in the state ever since the model code of conduct came into force in the state on October 9, an official release said.

The EC has ordered all private establishments including IT firms to declare holiday on November 30 to enable employees to exercise their franchise.

The counting of votes will be taken up on December 3.

Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, his Tripura counterpart N Indrasena Reddy, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Union Minister and state BJP president G Kishan Reddy are among the prominent leaders who will cast their votes in the elections.

CM Chandrasekhar Rao would exercise his franchise at his native Chintamadaka village in Siddipet district, official sources said.

Union Minister Kishan Reddy, BRS MLC Kavitha among early voters

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, BRS MLC K Kavitha and Telugu actor Allu Arjun were among the prominent people to cast their ballot in the Telangana Legislative Assembly election on Thursday.

Accompanied by family members, Kishan Reddy cast his vote at a polling booth in Kachiguda here.

Hailing India's democracy, Kishan Reddy, president of BJP in Telangana, said one does not get the right to criticise the political system without fulfilling the responsibility of voting.

Finding fault with the distribution of money and liquor to lure voters, he urged the electorate to vote fearlessly and without being influenced by any inducements.

After voting in Banjara Hills here, Kavitha, daughter of BRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, appealed to people to come out in large numbers and exercise their voting right.

PM urges people to vote in record numbers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday urged the people of Telangana to vote in record numbers in the assembly polls and strengthen the festival of democracy.

In a post on X, Modi said, "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," he said.