The Congress party has swept the Telangana urban local bodies (ULBs) polls by winning 74 municipalities and four corporations out of 116 ULBs. The Congress numbers could improve further following hung verdicts in about 30 municipalities and corporations. The party is positioned to secure control in many of these by joining forces with the CPI and AIMIM, while also leveraging the ex officio votes of its MLAs, MLCs, and MPs.
The party could also bring rebel candidates back into its fold and rope in independents as well.
Out of 2,996 wards in 116 ULBs, Congress won 1,537 wards, a steep hike compared to 569 seats in 2020. The Opposition BRS won 781 wards, down from 1,686 in 2020, and secured 15 municipalities. The party could not win a single municipal corporation.
Despite limited direction and organisational depth, the BJP continued to perform well in Telangana. The party improved its tally with victories in 335 wards, up from 293 last time, and is on course to secure Karimnagar and Nizamabad municipal corporations. It gained in these corporations largely at the expense of BRS.
The AIMIM won fewer seats this time, but expanded its footprint across Telangana. The party won 70 wards, compared to 87 in the previous polls. A total of 181 independents won across the state.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy thanked Congress leaders and workers for their focused and sustained efforts to win the ULB polls. He described the results as the people’s endorsement of his welfare and development agenda during the two-year rule.
Municipal chairpersons and mayors will be elected on February 16. The Congress has already begun negotiations with other parties and Independents. In the Kothagudem municipal corporation, Congress and CPI together won 22 seats out of 60 wards, and talks are underway to finalise the mayoral candidate. The party could also seek MIM support wherever possible.
The All India Forward Bloc sprang a surprise by bagging Vaddepalli municipality in Jogulamba-Gadwal district. It was a double surprise, as AIFB candidates were reportedly followers of Kalvakuntla Kavitha, the daughter of K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the president of BRS. Kavitha has differed with her brother K. T. Rama Rao, working president of BRS, and media reports suggest she may start a new political party by April.
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Despite the setback, BRS leader K. T. Rama Rao said the party’s victories were significant after its losses in the 2023 Assembly elections and the 2024 general elections, in which it did not win a single MP seat. He described the results as reflecting public discontent with Congress's rule. Another senior leader, T. Harish Rao, said this cannot be considered a victory for Congress since it did not win more than 90 per cent of the seats.
BJP state president N. Ramachandra Rao highlighted the party’s improved performance and said it has emerged as the single largest party in six ULBs. He said the party could secure Karimnagar and Nizamabad municipal corporations and Raikal, Narayanpet and Adilabad municipalities.