Congress sweeps Telangana municipal polls, BJP gets third position

The ruling Congress has swept the municipal elections in Telangana, establishing itself quite firmly in urban areas while the BRS recovered its position as the principal Opposition, pushing the BJP to a distant third.

A total of 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations went to the polls on 11 February.

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A delighted Chief Minister Revanth Reddy met AICC general secretary and party MP Priyanka Gandhi after the ruling party’s landslide victory in the civic polls.

Congress state president Mahesh Goud claimed that the party won 75 per cent of the municipalities while BRS and BJP failed to win even 25 per cent of the urban local bodies. With early trends showing a sweeping victory for the party, the chief minister met Priyanka Gandhi. “I told her that the people are satisfied with the welfare and development programmes being implemented by the state government, which is why they have given a massive victory to the Congress party,” stated Revanth Reddy. By evening, Congress won about 90 of the municipalities.

“The outcome goes beyond an electoral win; it reflects renewed public trust in the Congress government under the leadership of chief minister A Revanth Reddy. At a time when certain sections attempted to undermine the state’s image for political gain, the people chose stability, accountability and progress.”

Meanwhile, the BRS claimed that it was well on its way to revival after drawing a blank in the Lok Sabha polls and the leadership took a dig at the BJP for failing to hold on to its seat count of 2020. Party’s working president K T Rama Rao said they have won 15 municipalities and 700 wards and forced a hung outcome in at least 35 municipalities. “The results clearly establish BRS as the primary opposition and only political force capable of effectively challenging both Congress in the state and BJP at the national level,” he added.

He also claimed that the BRS was joining hands with the CPI, an ally of the Congress, including the Chennur constituency and the Kyaathanpally municipality, to prevent the Congress and the BJP from gaining control of local bodies.

Telangana BJP chief N Ramachander Rao said the party has strengthened its position in the municipal elections by winning a significant number of seats. AIMIM also put up a strong performance in the municipal polls. Forward Bloc clinched Vaddepalli municipality in Jogulamba Gadwal district.