Hyderabad, June 4 : Making big inroads in Telangana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken lead in seven out of 17 Lok Sabha seats.

The ruling Congress in the state was ahead in eight constituencies, while the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which lost power in Assembly elections recently, was leading in one constituency.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) was maintaining its lead in the Hyderabad constituency.

The BJP, which had won four seats in 2019, appears to be heading to retain them. It has also taken the lead in three other constituencies.

The party's candidates established clear leads in Karimnagar, Secunderabad, Nizamabad and Adilabad seats, which it won in the previous elections.

Its candidates were also leading in Chevella, Malkajgiri and Mahabubnagar constituencies.

The Congress was ahead in Nalgonda, Khammam, Mahbubabad, Peddapalle, Zahirabad, Nagarkurnool, Bhongir and Warangal constituencies.

Union Minister and state unit BJP president G. Kishan Reddy was leading in Secunderabad by 43,153 votes.

BJP general secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar took a huge lead of over 76,000 votes.

BJP's national vice-president D.K. Aruna was ahead in Mahabubnagar by 10,416 votes.

In Malkajgiri, which is India's largest constituency, BJP's Eatala Rajender was leading by over 1.18 lakh votes.

Congress' Kunduru Raghuveer was leading by over two lakh votes in Nalgonda.

In Khammam, Congress' Raghurami Reddy was leading by 1.92 lakh votes.

In Mahabubabad, Congress candidate Balram Naik had taken the lead of 1.13 lakh votes.

The BRS was leading only in Medak constituency, where its candidate, P. Venkatarama Reddy was ahead by a slender margin of 679 votes.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who is seeking re-election from Hyderabad for a fifth consecutive term, was leading by over 34,000 votes.

In Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly constituency, where by-election was held along with Lok Sabha polls, Congress candidate Sri Ganesh was leading by 5,113 votes.

A voter turnout of 65.67 per cent was recorded in the polling held on May 13.

In the 2019 elections, then ruling BRS had bagged 9 seats, BJP won four seats and Congress won three seats. AIMIM had retained one seat.

/IANS