Hyderabad has enforced Section 144, prohibiting residents from carrying licensed firearms throughout the election period. Hyderabad Commissioner of Police, Kothakota Sreenivas Reddy, informed Siasat Daily that Section 144 was implemented on Friday in anticipation of the Lok Sabha elections in the state. This decision aligns with the guidelines provided by the Election Commission on June 8, 2023. The imposition of these restrictions aims to maintain public order and peace across Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

List of Restrictions under Section 144 in Hyderabad:

1. Residents are prohibited from carrying licensed firearms for the duration of the election.
2. The issuance of new arms licenses is halted until the Lok Sabha election in 2024.
3. Displaying arms during political rallies or gatherings in support of candidates is strictly forbidden.
4. The Hyderabad police stated that these restrictions will remain in effect until June 6.
   
   Hyderabad Lok Sabha Election 2024: Complete Schedule
   According to the Election Commission’s schedule, Hyderabad will cast its vote alongside the rest of Telangana during the fourth phase of the General Elections on May 13, with vote counting scheduled for June 4.

In the Lok Sabha elections, Telangana has a total of 17 seats. In the 2019 election, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS, formerly Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS) secured nine seats, while the BJP won four, and the Congress secured three. Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), retained the party’s sole seat from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency.

In 2019, Owaisi won with 58.95% of the votes, defeating BJP’s Bhagavanth Rao by a margin of two lakh votes. Five years earlier, in 2014, Owaisi secured 52.94% of the vote, also with a two-lakh vote margin.

While some political parties have already unveiled their candidate lists prior to the polls, others have announced candidates as the election progresses across different phases.