Published Feb 05, 2026 | 2:59 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 05, 2026 | 2:59 PM
Congress leaders during a poll rally in Telangana.
Synopsis: The three main political parties in Telangana—the ruling Congress, the BRS and the BJP—have stepped up campaigning with just days to go before the urban local body elections, trading accusations against one another. The polls will cover 2,996 wards in 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations, excluding major bodies such as the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, with the results expected to shape political equations in the state.
With the Telangana urban local body elections just days away on 11 February, the ruling Congress, the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have shifted into top gear, unleashing a barrage of accusations and promises at rallies across municipalities and corporations.
The polls cover 2,996 wards across 116 municipalities and 414 wards in seven municipal corporations.
The elections—excluding major bodies such as the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Greater Warangal and Khammam—will decide urban local governance.
Counting is scheduled for 13 February, with oath-taking on 16 February.
The campaign has been marked by fierce verbal exchanges, with all parties accusing one another of corruption, appeasement and unfulfilled promises.
As many as 12,944 candidates remain in the fray after withdrawals, with Backward Classes receiving a significant share of tickets across parties.
With voter turnout expected to be high among the 52.43 lakh electorate, including 28.80 lakh women, the results could reshape urban political dynamics in Telangana.
The Congress, encouraged by its 2023 Assembly victory, is positioning itself to consolidate power at the grassroots level.
It has secured some early victories, with 12 of 14 candidates elected unopposed in certain municipalities.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy spearheaded the party’s campaign launch with a high-profile public meeting in Miryalaguda in Nalgonda district.
Addressing a large gathering, Reddy urged voters to give Congress a massive mandate, saying the party aimed to win all 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations.
He listed the government’s welfare initiatives and promised an additional ₹9,000 crore under Rythu Bharosa for farmers after the elections.
Reddy also targeted the BRS, accusing former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) of looting the state during his decade in power, amassing personal wealth and acquiring luxury assets.
“The BRS is calling KCR the father of Telangana, but he is only the father of his own community and family,” Reddy said, accusing the previous regime of corruption and neglect.
To energise its cadre, the BJP deployed its National President Nitin Nabin for his first visit to Telangana.
On 4 February, Nabin addressed a “Vijay Sankalp Sammelan” at the MVS Degree College grounds in Christianpally, Mahabubnagar, formally launching the BJP’s municipal election campaign.
At the rally, Nabin accused the Revanth Reddy government of running a “Commissions Government” marked by corruption, where an “RR Tax”, a reference to Revanth Reddy and Rahul Gandhi, is allegedly demanded for clearances and projects.
He said land mafias control governance and accused the Congress of appeasement politics that favour minorities while sidelining Telugu language and culture.
Nabin equated the Congress with the BRS, calling both parties the same in what he described as misgovernance and political opportunism.
He warned of consequences for attacks on Hindu temples and traditions, presenting the BJP as a clean alternative focused on development.
With a limited footprint in Telangana compared to the Congress and the BRS, the BJP is targeting municipalities along the Maharashtra and Karnataka borders, using national leadership to mobilise booth-level workers and blunt the ruling party’s momentum.
The BRS, once dominant in the state, is campaigning to recover ground lost in the 2023 Assembly polls.
Working President KT Rama Rao and senior leader T Harish Rao have led attacks on both rivals.
Harish Rao launched the BRS campaign in Narsapur municipality in Medak district, questioning how the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre could seek votes in Telangana after, he said, allocating inadequate funds in the Union Budget.
He accused the Congress of failing to deliver on its promises, citing delays in Rythu Bharosa payments that have angered farmers, and said the ruling party had lost the moral right to ask for votes.
KTR responded to A Revanth Reddy’s remarks by calling the chief minister’s language “filthy” and centred on abuse rather than policies or schemes.
BRS leaders have focused on local issues, accusing the Congress of infighting and complacency while pointing to their own record in urban development during their time in power.
The party is contesting aggressively across most districts, setting up direct contests with the Congress in many areas.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
