Telangana: BJP' Muralidhar Rao, family cast vote at polling booth in Hyderabad

After casting their franchise, the BJP leader and his family showed the indelible ink mark on their fingers.

Speaking to ANI, P Muralidhar Rao said, "I am happy that India is celebrating the festival of democracy. The kind of population we have in our country, the kind of diversity we have. It is nowhere else in the world."

"Amid the apprehensions expressed in the past, we have proved the whole world wrong and India is the only vibrant, robust and successful democracy. I appeal to all Indians to come out in large numbers and participate in this voting and make democracy successful," said the BJP leader.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered against BJP's candidate from Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, Madhavi Latha after a video clip of her checking the voter ID cards of Muslim women during her visit to a polling booth went viral.

The case has been registered under sections 171C, 186, 505(1)(c) of IPC and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act.

Hyderabad, Collector in a post on X wrote, "A case is registered in Malakpet Police Station against Smt Madhavi Latha, contesting candidate, BJP under sections 171C, 186, 505(1)(c) of IPC and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act."

In the video, the BJP candidate can be seen asking Muslim women inside the booth to remove the Burkha and identify themselves along with checking their voter identity cards. Speaking about the video, the BJP leader told ANI that she had only requested the women to verify their identity and there was nothing wrong with this.

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.

The Lok Sabha elections in Telangana are witnessing a triangular contest among the ruling Congress, opposition BRS, and BJP, with a total of 525 candidates in the fray.

The most important electoral battles in Telangana include Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Karim Nagar, and Chevella.

Voting for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 96 Parliamentary Constituencies across nine states and one Union Territory began on Monday at 7:00 am.

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.

So far, till phase 3 of the Lok Sabha polls, polling has concluded smoothly and peacefully in 283 Lok Sabha seats. (ANI)