Former chief minister and BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday said that regional parties will wield power in the next government while iterating AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s prophecy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will step down from office once he attains 75 years of age.

However, Rao’s assertion was dismissed by Telangana Chief Minister and PCC president A Revanth Reddy said that the former CM was speaking like KA Paul, the maverick Christian evangelist and leader of Praja Shanti Party. He claimed that the Congress was going to increase its vote share in the state.

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After casting his vote at Medak, Rao said: “According to the BJP’s own rule, prescribed by themselves, after 75 years of age nobody will take up any position. Accordingly Mr Modi has to step down. It is up to the BJP people to think.”

When asked whether his party will join the INDIA bloc, he said, “There is nothing like a bloc. Now the regional parties will be in power in India.”

KCR’s BRS is the only regional party which is involved in a triangular fight in Telangana along with the Congress and the BJP.

His daughter Kavitha is one of the accused in Delhi Liquor Scam and is incarcerated along with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently out on interim bail.

Chief Minister Reddy voted with his family at Kodangal under Mahabubnagar constituency. He said there was an anti-Modi wave and none of the NDA partners will support him if the BJP fails to get a majority.

Meanwhile, Telangana saw a higher turnout in constituencies where there is fierce fighting between three parties though Hyderabad city managed to disappoint once again.

At 5 pm the poll percentage in the state was 61.6 per cent. While the lowest was Hyderabad constituency at 39.17 per cent, Secunderabad at 42.48 per cent and Malkajgiri at 46.25 per cent were marginally better.

Chevella which includes the IT hub was a little better with 53.15 per cent, because of its rural areas. Social activists complained that a large number of voters found their names deleted from electoral rolls this time leading to low turn out.

Constituencies like Bhongir (72.34 per cent), Zahirabad (71.91 per cent) and Medak (71.33 ) registered comparatively higher turnout.