Hyderabad: Telangana has recorded 56.17% at 3 PM. Important leaders including caretaker CM K Chandrashekar Rao, KT Rama Rao, Governor of Telangana E Narasimhan, Congress leader Revanth Reddy, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, celebrities Nagarjuna, Chiranjeevi, Rajamouli and others came out to vote.

There are 2.8 crore voters in Telangana, out of which 23% have exercised their franchise during the first four hours of polling on Friday. At 1 PM, voter turnoput was 48.09%.

Legislative Assembly elections are being held for the first time in Telangana after its formation as the 2014 Assembly polls were held in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Polling is underway in the 119 Assembly constituencies in the state amid elaborate arrangements.

The state had recorded around 9% voting in the first two hours of polling.

Voting began at 7am and it will conclude at 5pm, except in 13 constituencies classified as Left-Wing Extremist-affected where the process ends at 4pm itself.

Chief Electoral Officer Rajath Kumar had said those in queues at polling stations before 5pm will be allowed to vote.

Telangana leaders Kadiyam Srihari, Harish Rao, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Jupally Krishna Rao and Jagadish Reddy also were among those who cast their vote.

After casting his vote, Harish Rao said he expected the overall poll percentage to go up given the indication.

The Congress has stitched together Praja Kutami (Peoples Front) along with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) to take on the ruling TRS, led by caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).

* With inputs from PTI