Hyderabad, February 11 Over 73% of voters exercised their franchise on Wednesday in the municipal elections in Telangana, which passed off peacefully, with minor scuffles occurring in a few locations.
The State Election Commission (SEC) reported a 73.01% voter turnout.
"The polling process went smoothly," DGP B Shivadhar Reddy said.
The DGP, who monitored the polling from here, said elaborate security arrangements were in place to ensure a smooth process.
Minor scuffles took place in Karimnagar, Sangareddy, and other locations, according to police.
Police used mild baton charges to disperse a group of BJP workers who allegedly attempted to block the main road near the bus stand in Karimnagar, protesting against alleged impersonation at a polling station.
The BJP workers staged a protest on the road, causing a traffic jam, after which they were dispersed using "mild baton charges," a police official said.
A few BJP workers sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Congress leader and former MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy, popularly known as Jagga Reddy, argued with police in Sangareddy, alleging that bogus votes were being cast.
Jagga Reddy accused some police officials of helping bogus voters.
In Nizamabad, an FIR was registered against BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri for allegedly abusing and making provocative comments against police and entering a polling booth despite being told not to do so.
Arvind, who entered the polling booth, allegedly abused and threatened polling staff and policemen, according to a police release.
Arvind was booked under relevant sections of the BNS and Telangana Municipalities Act.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy cast his vote at his assembly constituency of Kodangal in Vikarabad district, while Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar exercised his franchise in Karimnagar.
The elections were held on a party basis in 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations. The outcome is being seen as a test of popularity for the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP and BRS.
State Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud expressed confidence that the party would achieve a resounding victory in the polls.
BJP leader and Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy hoped that the saffron party would achieve impressive results despite the alleged misuse of power and distribution of money by the ruling party.
The counting of votes will take place on February 13.
Following its major success in the gram panchayat elections in December last year, the ruling Congress aims to consolidate its position as the dominant force in state politics by securing emphatic victories in the urban local bodies. Hoping to emerge as a credible alternative to both the Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which previously ruled the state for two terms, the BJP conducted a spirited campaign in the municipal elections. Having suffered setbacks in the 2023 assembly polls and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BRS put up a decent performance in the gram panchayat polls and is keen to make substantial gains in the municipal elections to reverse its fortunes in the state.
