Hyderabad witnessed another chapter in Telangana’s local body elections as the ruling Congress party solidified its dominance on Tuesday, seizing control of seven additional municipalities while the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) managed a solitary victory. This development comes amid ongoing tensions, with three municipalities postponing chairperson and vice-chairperson elections due to lack of quorum and clashes between Congress and BRS supporters. Monday’s proceedings had already been disrupted by violence and other issues, prompting opposition accusations of thuggery and undemocratic tactics by the ruling party.
Tensions flared anew in Jangaon and Thorur municipalities in the undivided Warangal district, where tied votes led to lotteries that favored Congress candidates. In Yellandu, Sultanabad, Dornakal, and Zahirabad, Congress secured comfortable wins. Kágaznagar fell to them with BJP support, while BRS clinched Indresham.
In Ibrahimpatnam, an BRS candidate was elected chairperson but the process halted following a High Court stay, as ordered by the State Election Commission. Detailed breakdowns reveal the razor-thin margins: Thorur’s 16-member body had nine BRS and seven Congress councilors initially. Votes from MLA Yashaswini Reddy and MP Kadimuthu Kavya boosted Congress to nine, and the lottery picked their candidate Shravana as chairperson. BRS leaders, led by former minister E. Dayakar Rao, protested the ex-officio votes, branding it a murder of democracy.
Jangaon, with 30 members, saw BRS holding 13 wards plus two independents, reaching 16 with MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy’s vote. Congress matched with 12 wards, one CPI, two independents, and MP Bojji Nageswara Rao’s support. Lottery again smiled on Congress’s Balamani as chairperson, with a BRS-backed independent as vice.
These wins push Congress’s tally to 91 municipalities. From the February 11 polls across 116 municipalities—with results on February 13—Congress grabbed 66 outright, allying for 25 more. BRS took 18, BJP one, independents three. In seven municipal corporations, Congress swept mayor and deputy posts in Mahbubnagar, Mancherial, Nalgonda, and Ramagundam. CPI got mayor in Kothagudem with Congress deputy; Nizamabad saw Congress mayor and AIMIM deputy; BJP allied for Karimnagar.
This surge underscores Congress’s strengthening grip on Telangana’s urban local bodies, signaling robust local momentum for the ruling party.