Hyderabad, Jan 25 (IANS): The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) took early leads in municipal elections as counting of votes was underway across the state on Saturday.

The State Election Commission (SEC) took up counting of votes polled in nine municipal corporations and 120 municipalities. TRS candidates were leading in many municipal wards.

According to SEC officials, counting was taken up at 134 centres. As many as 10,000 officials are engaged in the process. All results are expected to be announced by evening.

Over 70 per cent of 53.37 lakh voters had cast their votes on Wednesday to elect 325 corporators for municipal corporations and 2,727 councillors for municipalities.

A total of 1,746 candidates are in fray in municipal corporations while 11,099 candidates tested their political fortunes in municipalities.

TRS candidates were elected unanimously in 77 wards in municipalities and one ward in corporation while three candidates of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) were elected unopposed in three municipal wards.

Most of the municipalities and corporations went to the polls for the first time after they were carved out last year.

Elections were not held for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and 10 other urban local bodies as their tenure is not yet over.

TRS, which had retained power in the state in December 2018, is confident of winning 90 per cent of the urban local bodies.

While TRS has fielded candidates for all 3,052 municipal wards, opposition Congress and BJP have fielded 2,616 and 2,313 candidates respectively.