The much-awaited D-Day is here as the people of Telangana, the latest addition to the Indian Union, are all set to vote to elect its second Legislative Assembly today (Friday).

07 December is the day which may make or mar a few political careers and along with it, a few political parties. Unlike what is widely perceived in many States and even during general elections, the 2.73-crore strong electorate of Telangana has been keeping both the regional parties as well as the national parties in check as it is very hard to fathom as to whom the
people would favour this time around to rule till 2023.

In keeping with the latest diktat of the Election Commission not to publish exit poll results till the voting is completed, the exit poll predictions for Telangana would be published only after tomorrow’s polling. Voters in all 119 Assembly Constituencies in the State would be voting on Friday in a single-phase polling. Ruling TRS, headed by K. Chandrasekhar Rao, is hoping to make it second-time lucky by retaining power.

Telangana's polls were advanced by six months after chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao recommended dissolution of the Assembly and conducting Assembly polls in October. For reasons best known to him, KCR, as the CM is often referred to, didn’t want the State’s electorate to choose a new Assembly along with general elections due in May next year and
thus chose to advance the polls by more than six months. TRS, TDP, Congress, BJP and TJS are the parties in fray.

TJS and Congress have allied with the TDP with the hope of defeating Rao’s TRS. BJP, which was TDP’s ally durign the 2014 Assembly polls, is going it alone this time. TRS won 63 seats in 2014 but faces a stiff challenge from the TDP-Congress combine which also has the support of the Leftists.