Telangana Assembly Elections 2023: As Telangana is going through its assembly elections for its 119 constituencies this morning, initial figures suggest voter turnout stands at 8.52% statewide as of 9 am.What is the voter turnout till 9 amThe Election Commission of India (ECI) has revealed varying turnout data from different districts at this early stage. Adilabad led the way with 13.5% turnout in the first two hours, followed by Jagtial at 10.82% and Jayashankar Bhupalpalle at 10.5%. At the lower end, Bhadradri Kothagudem saw 8.33% and Karimnagar 8.21% turnout so far.8.52% voter turnout recorded in Telangana till 9am pic.twitter.com/8Mzve2eGmG— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2023Overall 2,290 candidates are contesting from an array of 109 parties, including 221 women and one transgender candidate. The results on December 3 will give a clear indication of Telanganas political direction along with four other states.The incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has fielded aspirants across all constituencies, while its allies BJP and Jana Sena Party are contesting 111 and 8 seats respectively as per their agreement. The Congress is going solo on 118 seats, leaving one to coalition partner CPI. Meanwhile, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has put forward nine candidates.PM Modi urges people to voteAiming to boost voter engagement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his encouragement this morning, saying, “I call upon my sisters and brothers of Telangana to vote in record numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy.”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.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 30, 2023He specifically appealed to young and first-time voters to exercise their franchise.Rahul Gandhi on Telangana Assembly Elections 2023Further, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi also took to social media, saying “Today, Prajala [the people] will defeat Dorala [misrule]!నేడు దొరలపై ప్రజలు గెలవబోతున్నారు.నా తెలంగాణ సోదర సోదరీమణులారా!రండి.. అధిక సంఖ్యలో ఓటింగ్ లో పాల్గొనండి.బంగారు తెలంగాణ నిర్మాణం కోసం ఓటేయ్యండి! కాంగ్రెస్ ను గెలిపించండి!Today, Prajala will defeat Dorala!Brothers and sisters of Telangana, step out and vote in large… pic.twitter.com/yvrvNMBziX— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 30, 2023His message asked citizens to “step out and vote in large numbers” and support Congress vision of a “Bangaru [Golden] Telangana.”As the day progresses, more concrete data on voter turnout around the state will emerge. But early signs are encouraging for those hoping to see engaged and enthusiastic participation by Telanganas electorate.With multiple parties in contention and the sitting government battling anti-incumbency sentiment, todays poll could have significant repercussions on Telanganas future policy direction.
