Hyderabad’s urban landscape is buzzing today as municipal elections unfold across Telangana under tight security. Voting kicked off at 7 AM across 116 municipalities and seven corporations, drawing over 52 lakh eligible voters to 8,191 polling stations. These stations, spread over 2,981 wards in 123 urban local bodies, will close at 5 PM sharp.
State Election Commission (SEC) has mobilized 1,379 returning officers and 41,773 polling staff to ensure a smooth process. Every booth features webcasting for transparency, a move aimed at building voter confidence. Chief Election Commissioner Rani Kumudini urged citizens to exercise their franchise, pointing them to the SEC website or TE-Pol app for voter slips.
A whopping 12,944 candidates are in the fray, testing their fortunes in these local polls. In 116 municipalities covering 2,569 wards, 10,719 contenders include 2,358 from ruling Congress, 2,478 from BRS, and 2,252 from BJP. Nine candidates in nine municipalities have already won unopposed.
Tragedy struck earlier when a BJP candidate’s suicide led to postponement in one ward of Makthal municipality in Narayanpet district. Meanwhile, seven municipal corporations with 412 wards host 2,225 candidates—410 Congress, 401 BRS, and 382 BJP—across 2,174 booths. Two wards in Mahbubnagar and Ramagundam saw unopposed victories.
Security is paramount, with DGP B. Shivdhar Reddy deploying 3,000 extra police personnel. 1,302 hyper-sensitive and 1,926 sensitive booths have additional forces. Repolling, if needed, is set for Thursday, with counting Friday and chairperson elections on February 16. As queues form under the watchful eyes of cameras, Telangana’s urban future hangs in the balance.