The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polling is currently underway under heavy security. The voting started at 7 am on Tuesday and will end at 6 pm.

As many as 1,122 candidates are in the poll fray for 150 wards in GHMC, constituting 24 Assembly segments with over 74. 67 lakh eligible voters. 4.2 per cent polling has been recorded till 9 am in the greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections.

India State assembly elections 2018
A polling officer marks a voters' finger with ink as he casts his vote at a local polling station during Rajasthan's Legislative Assembly election, in Jodhpur on December 7, 2018. - The Indian state of Rajasthan votes on December 7 in an election that is a key test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

KTR, Kishan Reddy, Owaisi cast vote

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao, Union Minister of State G. Kishan Reddy and MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi were among the leaders who cast their vote in the first hour in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections on Tuesday.

Rama Rao, who led the ruling party in the campaign and his wife exercised their franchise at Nandinagar polling station in Banjara Hills.

owaisi

Rama Rao, who is son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, urged voters to participate in voting. "Think before voting what kind of public representatives you want for the development of Hyderabad," he said.

Kishan Reddy and his wife cast their votes at a polling booth in Kachiguda. The union minister appealed to all voters to exercise their right to franchise. BJP OBC Morcha president K. Laxman came to a polling centre in Chikkadpalli to cast his vote.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi cast his vote at Shastrippuram in the old city. "I exercised my right to vote. I am appealing to voters to come out and use their voting right for the development of the city, especially old city and for protecting the city's composite culture, heritage and language," he said.

Owaisi urged voters to come out and vote to increase the polling percentage and strengthen democracy.

More about GHMC Polls 

GHMC

Top BJP leaders, including its president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah, campaigned in the run-up to the polls, while TRS Working President shouldered the responsibility for his party. A total of 74,44,260 voters will exercise their franchise using ballot papers to elect their representatives.

Telangana Congress President Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior leaders also canvassed for their party's candidates. Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and his legislator brother Akbaruddin Owaisi participated in several rallies. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao addressed a public meeting on November 28 here, highlighting his party's commitments for the development of the city.