Hyderabad: The ruling Congress party is projected to dominate Telangana’s municipal elections, with exit polls by research agency People’s Pulse forecasting a strong lead in both municipalities and municipal corporations. The prediction marks a major potential setback for the opposition BRS.
Polling for 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations concluded on Wednesday. Vote counting is scheduled for February 13. The election saw a three-way contest between the Congress, BRS, and BJP.
Congress sweep Telangana civic polls: Exit poll forecasts 70% control of ULBs
According to the survey, Congress is likely to win control of 68 to 76 municipalities. The party is expected to secure a clear lead in urban bodies such as Mancherial, Ramagundam, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, and Kothagudem.
In Ramagundam, Congress is projected to take 30–34 wards, while BRS may secure 16–20. In Mancherial, the Congress tally is predicted at 39–43, far ahead of its rivals. Similarly, in Kothagudem, the party is expected to dominate with 28–34 wards, followed by CPI.
BJP, meanwhile, is projected to lead in Karimnagar and Nizamabad municipal corporations. In Nizamabad, the exit poll shows BJP with 26–31 wards, followed by Congress (10–16) and AIMIM (8–12). In Karimnagar, BJP may win 24–29 wards, with Congress (14–16), AIMIM (6–9), and BRS (10–12) trailing.
BRS faces major setback, BJP sees isolated gains in northern districts
The exit poll indicates that BRS may fail to win control of any municipal corporation. It is projected to win between 29 and 36 municipalities overall, while the BJP could take 3 to 5 and AIMIM possibly just one.
In terms of estimated vote share, Congress leads with 36%, followed by BRS at 29.7%, BJP at 19.3%, and AIMIM at 2%.
Ward-wise, Congress is expected to secure between 1,210 and 1,290 seats. BRS may win 860–930, BJP 250–270, AIMIM 35–44, CPI 12–17, CPM 10–14, and other parties 90–110.
The pollsters caution that these are projections, and final results may differ.