Hyderabad: Polling for the Telangana municipal elections will take place on Wednesday, with 52 lakh voters preparing to cast their ballots in 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations. Campaigning ended on Monday, triggering the 48-hour silence period mandated by the Election Commission.
A total of 12,993 candidates are contesting in 2,996 wards. Voting will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. under tight security. The government has declared a paid holiday to encourage turnout. Meanwhile, the Labour Department instructed private employers to allow staff time off for voting.
Polling will cover 32 districts, excluding Hyderabad. In a notable statistic, women outnumber men on the voter rolls. Thousands of election personnel will manage the polling process. Authorities have scheduled counting for February 13, while indirect elections for mayors and chairpersons will follow on February 16.
BJP targets alliance narrative, criticises rivals
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy claimed that public support for the BJP has surged during the campaign. He accused both Congress and the BRS of fabricating a triangular contest to hinder the BJP’s growth. Additionally, he alleged that both parties planned to sway voters through heavy spending.
Reddy credited Central government programs like Swachh Bharat and AMRUT for driving urban development. He also hit back at Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s remarks about BJP governance. “If BJP wins, the CM asks if Modi will clean drains in Telangana. I ask the CM if he has cleaned any drains as state municipal minister,” he said.
To support his claims, Reddy cited BJP’s recent performance in MP and MLC elections, particularly in North Telangana.
BRS moves Election Commission over code breach
The BRS filed a formal complaint against Gadwal MLA Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy for allegedly violating the silence period. The party accused him of campaigning in residential areas during restricted hours and submitted video evidence to the State Election Commission. It demanded an immediate probe and strict action.
Telangana municipal elections cover nearly 3,000 wards
Election officials confirmed that 2,569 municipal wards will see polling through 6,017 stations, with 10,719 candidates in the running. Additionally, seven municipal corporations account for 414 notified wards, 2,174 polling stations, and 2,225 contestants.
Major parties are treating the elections as a benchmark for urban voter sentiment, with the results expected to reflect political momentum ahead of future state-level contests.