Congress Sweeps Telangana Municipal Elections, But BJP Celebrates Historic Wins

Hyderabad, Telangana: Two years after returning to power in Telangana, the Congress party strengthened its hold in the municipal elections held on 11 February. Out of 116 municipalities, Congress won at least 83, and secured five out of seven municipal corporations. Despite this, the BJP is celebrating its performance as historic.

BJP Highlights Its Gains

BJP leaders, including MP and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, expressed jubilation on social media. Party officials argue that the results demonstrate the growing influence of the BJP in the state, despite Congress’s overall victory. Telangana BJP president N. Ramchandra Rao stated that Congress has exaggerated its success, noting that the BJP increased its vote share from 13% to 20% compared to previous municipal elections.

Victory Rallies and Claims

BJP workers organized victory rallies immediately after the results. Bandi Sanjay Kumar credited the people of Karimnagar for supporting development initiatives and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. “This is the first time a BJP mayor will be elected in Karimnagar,” he said, calling the win historic. BJP also celebrated victories in Nizamabad and declared Hyderabad as the next key target.

Allegations Against Congress and BRS

The BJP alleged that Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) relied on support from Majlis and AIMIM to secure wins in several municipalities. Rao claimed that AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi personally urged Muslim voters to block BJP victories, forming what he termed a “sticky alliance” between Congress, BRS, and AIMIM. The party further accused Congress of attempting to divide GHMC into three parts to ensure a mayoral seat for Majlis.

Telangana Election Numbers

The elections covered seven municipal corporations and 116 municipalities across the state, including 414 wards in cities such as Kothagudem, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar, Mancherial, Nizamabad, Nalgonda, and Ramagundam. Congress won over 1,300 of 2,582 wards, followed by BRS with around 700 wards, and BJP with approximately 275 wards.