Hyderabad: Polling for the 2023 Assembly Elections in Telangana concluded peacefully on Thursday, with an approximate voter turnout of 70.47 percent being recorded.

Save for minor technical glitches and arguments between polling agents, the polling was conducted smoothly, though Hyderabad was a big letdown yet again with just a 46.12 percent of voters in the State capital heading to the booths. Polling in 13 constituencies in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas ended at 4 pm while in the remaining 106 segments, it concluded at 5 pm. Those standing in queues at polling booths at 5 pm were allowed to cast their votes.

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Compared to the 2018 voter turnout of 73.74 percent, Telangana’s voter turnout this time was lower at 70.47 percent, as per the approximate voter turnout figures when reports last came in. The final and official percentage will be announced by the Election Commission of India late in the night or on Friday.

Polling commenced on a sluggish note early in the day and complaints of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) developing snags were reported from different booths across the State. As things settled, the voter turnout increased steadily and by 3 pm. it was 51.89 percent.

By 5 pm, the official closing time, Medak district recorded an approximate voter turnout of 86.69 percent, Jangaon reported 85.74 percent, Mahabubabad 83.70 percent, Adilabad 79.86 percent, Hanamkonda 66.38 percent and Hyderabad 46.12 per cent.

Despite appeals and awareness creation efforts by the Election Commission, BRS working president KT Rama Rao and other celebrities and voluntary organizations, the turnout was poor in Hyderabad, while the adjoining Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy districts too also registered low percentage at 56 and 59.94 percent respectively.

This time, 2,290 candidates, including 221 women and one transgender were in the fray. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is contesting from Gajwel and Kamareddy and cast his vote in Chintamadaka village in Siddipet district. BJP’s Etala Rajender was contesting from both Gajwel and Huzurabad, while TPCC president A Revanth Reddy is in the fray from Kodangal and Kamareddy.

In 2018, BRS (then Telangana Rashtra Samithi) won 88 of the 119 seats and had a 47.4 percent of the vote share. The Congress came a distant second with just 19 seats.

The Election Commission had made elaborate arrangements for polling at 35,655 polling stations across 33 districts. More than 50,000 police personnel and 375 companies of the central paramilitary forces were deployed. The counting of the votes will take place on December 3.