Hyderabad:
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi seeking re-election is hoping for "an emphatic" turnout and "resounding verdict" for the party in the state that votes today to elect a new government.
As the voting gained momentum K T Rama Rao, the son of outgoing chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, said the three months of election campaign was exhausting.
"Tired and exhausted after three months of campaigning. We hope people are not exhausted and they come out in larger numbers, especially in the urban areas, to cast their votes", Mr Rao told NDTV.
When asked the voting percentage was only 68 per cent last time which is not considered high he said: "Hyderabad has one third of votes. People from urban pockets don't come out and vote . . But we hope it is different this time.''
"You will see uniform trend across state," Mr Rao said. When asked about the multiple pre-poll surveys predicting hugely different outcomes he said people resort to "mind games" during elections.
Earlier, K Chandrashekar Rao sounded confident about his party returning to power with a "huge majority" in the state.
Talking to reporters after casting the vote in his village Chintamadaka, Mr Rao said he could sense a "very, very positive mood" among voters in favour of his party.
Mr Rao had dissolved the Telangana assembly on September 6, paving the way for early elections in the southern state. Results of voting in Telangana's 119 constituencies will be declared on December 11, along with four other states.