Only 48.95% polling recorded till 3 pm; 27.79% turnout in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Telangana recorded 48.95 per cent polling till three pm across 17 Lok Sabha constituencies of the State where former Union minister Renuka Chowdhury and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi are among prominent candidates in the fray as voting progessed peacefully. Zaheerabad recorded highest number of voter turnout with 63.39 per cent while Hyderabad from where AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi is seeking re-election registered 27.79 per cent till three pm.

 "Polling process is going on peacefully across Telangana," Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar said.A polling booth in Teeleru Village in Narayanpet district where ten women labourers were buried alive when loose soil and boulders fell on them Wednesday, wore a deserted look, according to reports." Rajat Kumar said as per the information he received from the Collector of Narayanpet district, large number of people are participating in the funeral of the deceased and polling is expected to pick up momentum during the second half of the day.
The official said 1.51 per cent of ballot units, 1.71 per cent of control units and 2.21 per cent of VVPATs were replaced during the mock polling before beginning of the actual polls in the morning. Polling in 16 constituencies began at 7 am, while voting process in Nizamabad started an hour later. Key candidates in the fray include Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha, former union minister Renuka Chowdhury and Owaisi. Nizamabad witnessed 45.29 per cent voter turnout till three pm, according to officials.