Telangana civic poll results a mandate for Congress’ welfare model: Rahul Gandhi

Senior Congress leader and leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday described the party’s performance in Telangana’s local body elections as a clear endorsement of its governance model built on welfare, dignity and inclusive growth.

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi thanked party workers and leaders for their efforts. “Heartfelt thanks to every Congress ‘karyakarta’ and leader. This victory belongs to you and to the people of Telangana,” he wrote, reiterating the party’s commitment to building a “Prajala Telangana” where development reaches every household.

The ruling Congress secured close to 60 per cent of the urban local bodies, winning 64 of the 116 municipalities and three of the seven municipal corporations that went to polls. Polling was held on Wednesday, recording over 73 per cent voter turnout, with counting beginning at 8 am on Friday under tight security arrangements.

Across municipalities, the Congress won 1,347 of the 2,582 wards. The principal Opposition, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), secured 717 wards and won 13 municipalities along with three municipal corporations. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finished third with 261 wards, while others — including the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and independents — claimed 256 wards.

In the municipal corporations, results were declared for 378 of the 414 divisions. The Congress won 177 divisions, the BRS 57, the BJP 70, and others 74. The Congress also bagged the Mancherial, Ramagundam and Nalgonda corporations.

In the 60-member Kothagudem municipal corporation, the Congress and the Communist Party of India won 22 seats each, with leaders from both sides describing the contest as friendly.

The BJP, while failing to secure control of any municipality independently, emerged as the single-largest party in the Karimnagar corporation, winning 30 of the 66 seats, and also became the largest formation in Nizamabad corporation. Both cities fall within the eight Lok Sabha constituencies currently held by the BJP in Telangana.

Despite the Congress’ strong showing, 38 municipalities produced fractured verdicts, triggering intense political manoeuvring. Both the Congress and the BRS have begun efforts to secure support from independents and smaller parties ahead of the election of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons. Congress leaders claimed that, even in municipalities without a clear majority, the party is in a position to control nearly three-fourths of the urban bodies.

The results mark a significant shift from the 2020 municipal elections, when the then ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) — now renamed the BRS — had dominated more than 100 urban local bodies.

For the Congress, the latest verdict consolidates its position in the state’s urban landscape and reinforces its narrative that the electorate has endorsed its governance approach since assuming power in Telangana.

With IANS inputs