BRS' K Kavitha casts vote in Telangana polls, urges people to exercise their franchise

Banjara Hills: Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha casted her vote for Telangana assembly polls on Thursday morning and appealed to the 'urban voters' to exercise their franchise.

She casted her vote at a polling station in Dav Public School in the Banjara Hills area of Hyderabad today.

"Especially to the young men and women, I sincerely appeal to you to please come and vote. Today is not a holiday, it is a day to participate in and strengthen democracy," Kavitha told ANI while coming out of the polling station.

She further asserted confidence in BRS winning the mandate of the people and said, "We understand our people better and our DNA matches with our people. Whatever people feel on the ground, because our ears are always on the ground, unlike so-called national parties which have now become larger-sized regional parties. They are not as strong as before. Yet they claim to understand our people which they do not."

"We fought for the state, we worked for the state. We believe people will resonate better with BRS. We are very confident, we are going to hit a century," she added.

Earlier today, major leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and others urged the people of Telangana to cast their votes in record numbers in the elections to the 119-member state Assembly.

Amid heavy security arrangements, polling began in various constituencies in the state at 7 am.

As many as 2,290 candidates from 109 national and regional parties including 221 women and one transgender are in the fray.

Their fate will be decided by a total of 3.17 crore voters.

Voters would exercise their franchise at 35,655 polling stations set up across the state.

For the first time in Telangana, a home voting facility is being provided to persons with disabilities and voters above 80 years of age.

Home voting for citizens aged over 80 years and persons with disabilities has also been made available, with about 27,600 voters enlisted to avail of the service on Thursday. About 1,000 other voters have also registered for the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, his minister-son K T Rama Rao, state Congress President A Revanth Reddy and BJP Lok Sabha members Bandi Sanjay Kumar and D Arvind are among the list of key contenders.

If K Chandrashekar Rao, widely known as KCR, wins another term in office, it will be the first occasion when a Chief Minister from a Southern state will get a third straight term in office.