Telangana Assembly Election 2018

From a tally of five seats after the 2014 elections, the party was now reduced to just a single MLA in the 119-member House

Rao was unanimously elected leader of the TRS Legislature Party by the newly-elected MLAs

KCR's gamble pays off handsomely after counting of votes in Telangana on Monday. Track Telangana election result 2018 live updates here

The Congress, which forged an opposition alliance with the Telugu Desam Party, the Telangana Jana Samiti, and the CPI, is heading for a heavy defeat, according to initial trends

The counting of votes in Telangana and in the other four states that went to polls will take place on Tuesday

Friday's exit polls predicted that the BJP's seat tally would remain in single digits

: AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi Monday said TRS will form the next government in Telangana on its own strength and his party will stand by it and its chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. Owaisi said he will meet KCR (Rao) Monday afternoon adding this is "our first step towards a larger goal of nation building." "I'll be meeting Telangana's caretaker & next CM of Telangana, KCR sahab @TelanganaCMO at 1:30 PM today. Inshallah hell form government on his own strength, and Majlis will stand by him. This is our first step towards a larger goal of nation building," the Hyderabad MP tweeted. AIMIM contested eight seats in the December 7 Assembly elections as against the seven in 2014 polls, and supported the TRS. Owaisi had also canvassed and organised public meetings in support of TRS in the run-up to the December 7 Assembly elections. Counting of votes will be taken up on Tuesday.

Telangana voted today to choose the winner after Congress-TDP, TRS and BJP's high voltage campaigns.

Telangana State Road Transport Corporation was operating additional bus services to clear the rush

During this election, though there is no real contender against him, he campaigned continuously, from 8 am to 11 pm

What was noticeable during campaigning was the injection of nationalist commentary in the state's political discourse, something that was absent in most south Indian states

Over 50,000 security personnel including 18,860 drafted from neighbouring states and central forces were deployed as part of the massive security arrangements

The Hyderabad Lok Sabha member said the TRS would form a government on its own

Revanth had called for a shutdown to protest against Rao's scheduled meeting at Kosigi in the assembly segment this evening

The state is witnessing a three-cornered fight between the Praja Kutami, the BJP and the TRS

The Congress and TDP have gained ground steadily, while a multi-cornered contest in some parts of the state will also benefit their cause

Drawing parallel to the issue of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, a resident said, 'KCR had the opportunity to develop this place but has failed terribly'

In the last assembly elections in 2014, the TRS had won 63 seats

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi were "one" and urged the people of Telangana to not be "fooled by them". He also claimed the Telangana Rashtra Samithi was the BJP's "B team" and its chief K Chandrasekhar Rao "operates" as Prime Minister Modi's "Telangana Rubber Stamp". "Owaisi's, AIMIM is the BJP's 'C' team, whose role is to split the anti BJP/KCR vote," Gandhi tweeted. "Great people of Telangana, Modi, KCR & Owaisi are one. They speak in twisted tongues. Do not be fooled by them!" he said. Earlier, in an another tweet, he said Telangana was "born of idealism and great dreams", but four years of "TRS/BJP incompetence, arrogance and corruption" has made the people cynical.

Telangana Assembly Election 2018 are scheduled for December 7. Counting of votes will take place on December 11