Hyderabad: Data by the Telangana State Election Commission (SEC) suggests that there was a major spike in voter turnout in the last hour of The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections held on Tuesday.
According to the SEC figures, there was a jump of 8.81 percent votes recorded in the last hour of the polling at 6pm. The voting percentage at 5pm was 37.11 and by the end of the polling, the overall voting percentage was recorded as 45.92 percent.
The voting had remained dull during the first half of the day with only 20.35 percentage of votes polled till 1pm. This was despite appeals from authorities, political parties, NGOs, and celebrities to improve the polling percentage.
Below is the hourly voting percentage
| Time | Voting percentage |
| 9 a.m. | 3.95 |
| 11 a.m. | 11.62 |
| 1 p.m. | 20.35 |
| 3 p.m. | 29.76 |
| 5 p.m. | 37.11 |
| 6 p.m. | 45.92 |
The polls were conducted through paper ballots instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Poll process was smooth
Barring Old Malakpet division, where polling had to be postponed to December 3 due to discrepancy in ballot papers, the poll process was smooth in 149 divisions.
A total of 1122 candidates have contested in the polls. The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has field candidates on all seats whereas Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) is contesting from 51 division.
The BJP has fielded candidates in 149 divisions, the Congress in 146, the TDP in 106, the CPI in 17 and the CPI-M in 12 divisions.
The counting of votes will take place on December 4.
In 2016 GHMC polls, TRS had won a landslide majority in with 99 seats in 150-member municipal body whereas, MIM candidates emerged victories on 44 seats.