Polling for urban local bodies in Telangana underway

Polling for 120 municipalities and nine corporations in Telangana was underway on Wednesday amid tight security with people queuing up to cast their votes.

The polling, which began at 7 am will end at five pm, officials said.

The elections will be held for 2,647 wards in municipalities and 382 divisions in corporations.

However, councillors to 80 wards and corporators for three divisions had been elected unopposed, Telangana State Election Commission said.

A total of 50,000 personnel have been deployed for fair and peaceful conduct of elections.

Special arrangements have been made in Left Wing extremist affected districts.

According to State Election Commissioner Nagi Reddy, there will be an average of 800 voters per booth.

As per the statistics provided by the commission, the Congress could not field candidates in over 400 wards while BJP in over 700.

In a first of its kind step in the country, the commission will use facial recognition app in a bid to counter impersonation of voters on Wednesday and ten polling stations in Kompally Municipality of Medchal Malkajgiri district have been selected for the pilot project.

There will be 7,961 polling stations with 45,000 staff overseeing the poll process, a statement from the SEC said.

The state police said it has taken all measures for maintenance of law and order during the polling.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi working president and Minister K T Rama Rao has exuded confidence about his party winning a lion's share of wards and divisions.

Both the national parties, which failed to put up a good show in rural local bodies elections held last year, are keen to prove their strength this time.

Karimnagar Municipal Corporation will go for polls on January 25 and results declared on January 27.