Congress scores emphatic win in Telangana municipal elections

In a resounding endorsement of the government led by chief minister A. Revanth Reddy, the Congress party scripted an emphatic victory in Telangana’s municipal elections on Friday, tightening its grip over the state’s urban political landscape even as the BRS and BJP asserted their presence in select pockets.

Across 116 municipalities, where polling for 2,582 wards was held on 11 February, the Congress surged ahead, clinching more than 1,300 wards. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi followed with around 700 wards, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured roughly 275, underlining a competitive but Congress-dominated contest.

In the seven municipal corporations that went to the polls, the Congress captured three and was leading in another, consolidating its urban foothold. The BJP, however, carved out significant victories by winning a majority in Karimnagar and Nizamabad municipal corporations, marking a notable breakthrough. In Kothagudem, a spirited contest unfolded between the Congress and the CPI, reflecting the layered political dynamics at play.

Several municipalities delivered fractured mandates, prompting major parties to court independents in a bid to cross the majority mark. The counting process, which began at 8 am across 123 centres under tight security, stretched on due to the use of ballot papers — a reminder of the painstaking mechanics of grassroots democracy.

Deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka declared that the Congress had decisively won 83 municipalities and five corporations, describing the outcome as deeply gratifying after nearly two decades of political struggle in the state’s civic arena.

CM Reddy hailed the verdict as a vote of confidence in two years of what he termed “people’s governance,” pledging comprehensive development across municipalities and corporations. Thanking lakhs of party workers for their tireless efforts, he said the mandate reaffirmed public faith in welfare programmes for the poor and middle class, as well as development initiatives executed with “world-class planning.”

At the national level, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lauded the victory, calling it a reflection of the people’s trust. In a message posted on X, he expressed gratitude to grassroots workers and reiterated the party’s commitment to building a “Prajala Telangana” rooted in social justice, economic empowerment and sustained progress for the state’s 3.8 crore citizens.

The opposition, however, was quick to claim its own share of the narrative. K.T. Rama Rao, working president of the BRS, asserted that his party had emerged as the principal political force in several urban bodies, winning over 15 municipalities and becoming the single largest party in around a dozen more. He alleged misuse of money power and administrative machinery by the ruling Congress.

Meanwhile, BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao said the party was poised to assume power in Karimnagar and Nizamabad corporations for the first time. He added that the BJP had emerged as the single largest party in six municipalities and strengthened its footprint in corporations such as Mancherial, Nalgonda and Ramagundam. Rao also alleged a tacit understanding between the Congress, BRS and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, to consolidate minority votes against the BJP.

The AIMIM itself demonstrated notable influence, winning 22 wards across four municipal corporations and over 40 wards in 15 municipalities — a reminder that Telangana’s urban politics remains vibrantly multi-cornered.

While the Congress has clearly emerged as the principal beneficiary of the civic mandate, the results reveal a competitive political mosaic — one that sets the stage for intense maneuvering and recalibration in Telangana’s evolving urban power structure.

With PTI inputs