"Sabka Sath mai hi Sabka Vikas Hai...," BJP's Hyderabad candidate Madhavi Latha after casting her vote

SECUNDERABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from Hyderabad, Madhavi Latha, cast her vote at the Amrita Vidyalayam polling station in Hyderabad for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections and asserted that "Sabka Sath mai hi Sabka Vikas Hai." After casting the vote, Latha urged the people to go out to vote, as the vote brings changes and moves towards development.

"I only have to tell all the voters that it is the responsibility of every citizen that they need to go out to vote because the vote brings two changes: 1) a new change and development towards themselves and their families, and 2) it gives an opportunity to change the lives of the downtrodden, Dalits, poor and the lives of every elderly people who have been abandoned. Voting is the most precious social work, along with a selfish desire to move towards development. So I would say you may not have money but you have vote, then you have contributed to the nation to go towards 'Viksit Bharat'. And the best thing you all have to understand is 'Sabka Sath mai hi Sabka Vikas Hai, Alag Alag jeene mai vikas nhi hai'," Latha told reporters.

Madhavi Latha is pitted against a formidable opponent in the form of four-time Lok Sabha MP and AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, from Hyderabad Lok Sabha Constituency and BRS' Gaddam Srinivas Yadav.

This is the first time that the BJP has fielded a female candidate from the Hyderabad constituency. Asaduddin has been the elected representative from Hyderabad since 2004.

He was previously elected as an MLA twice in the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh. Voting for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 96 Parliamentary Constituencies across nine states and one Union Territory got underway on Monday at 7:00 am. Polling for all 175 seats of the State Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh and 28 seats of the State Legislative Assembly of Odisha also started simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.

Of the 96 Lok Sabha seats, 25 are from Andhra Pradesh, 17 from Telangana, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Maharashtra, eight each from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five from Bihar, four each from Jharkhand and Odisha, and one from Jammu and Kashmir. According to the poll body, a total of 4,264 nominations were filed for 96 parliamentary constituencies across. Of the 96 Lok Sabha seats, 25 are from Andhra Pradesh, 17 from Telangana, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Maharashtra, eight each from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five from Bihar, four each from Jharkhand and Odisha and one from Jammu and Kashmir.

The fourth phase is witnessing key contests in various constituencies. Leaders such as AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC leader Mahua Moitra, BJP leader Giriraj Singh, JDU's Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), TMC leaders Shatrughan Sinha and Yusuf Pathan.

BJP leaders Arjun Munda and Madhavi Latha, and Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief YS Sharmila are also looking for electoral success. So far, till phase 3 of the Lok Sabha polls, polling has concluded smoothly and peacefully in 283 Lok Sabha seats.