Over 85% voter turnout was recorded in the by-election to the Munugodu Assembly constituency by 6 PM today.
The polling, which began on a dull note at 7 AM, picked up momentum after lunch as a large number of voters, including women, turned out to cast their votes.
Voters were seen standing in queues at various polling booths till even 7 PM, and polling trends indicated that the final voting percentage this time would be higher than in 2018 when it was 91.38%.
According to CEO Vikas Raj, barring minor incidents, the polling went off peacefully across the constituency. In some places, BJP and TRS workers clashed and argued over alleged distribution of money and liquor, but nothing escalated alarmingly, he said.
He added that Rs 8.26 crore was seized.
The EVMs have been shifted to Nalgonda town amidst tight security. The counting will be held on November 6.
There are a total of 47 candidates in the fray, but the main contest is among three major players - TRS, BJP and Congress.
For the first time, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued new EPIC cards with six security features, including a hologram, for these elections.