With the combined results of the first two phases, Congress has taken a clear lead in the overall Gram Panchayat tally, strengthening its position ahead of future local body consolidations.
Published Dec 15, 2025 | 5:06 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 15, 2025 | 5:06 PM
Voters braved cold weather conditions and recorded an impressive 85.86% turnout, surpassing the 84.28% turnout recorded in the first phase.
Synopsis: Congress continued its winning streak in the second phase of the gram panchayat elections in Telangana, winning 2,297 seats, compared to BRS’s 1,191, and BJP’s 257 seats. The third and final polling is on Wednesday, 17 December.
Telangana’s rural voters have held the Congress tight in a warm embrace as party-backed candidates won more than half of the contested seats in the second phase of the gram panchayat elections.
The results of the second phase, declared late on Sunday, 14 December, revealed the Congress’s strong rural base in Telangana.
Of the total villages, 415 sarpanch posts were filled unanimously, indicating pre-election consensus in those areas. Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district recorded the highest turnout at 91.72%, while Nizamabad registered the lowest at 76.71%.
Counting commenced under heavy security at designated centres in each district immediately after the polling had ended. Votes were counted manually, with electronic verification used in select sensitive areas.
The process concluded by midnight in most districts. The counting was largely incident-free, barring minor complaints related to electoral rolls in a few villages.
Congress-backed candidates won 2,297 seats, including those filled unanimously, accounting for about 51% of the total seats. The performance added to the party’s strong showing in the first phase, in which it secured 2,425 seats.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) finished second with 1,191 seats, around 27%, marginally improving on its first-phase tally of 1,168 seats. BRS leaders acknowledged the setback but pointed to the closely fought contests in several districts, where the victory margins were narrow.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came third with 257 seats (6%), but made notable gains in the Nirmal district, where it emerged as the single largest force. Independents secured 578 seats (14%), often benefiting from local dynamics and anti-incumbency sentiments.
Congress won a majority of seats in all but four districts—Siddipet, Kumaram Bheem Asifabad, Jangaon and Nirmal. While BRS led in Siddipet, Kumaram Bheem Asifabad, and Jangaon, BJP’s success in Nirmal marked a rare rural breakthrough for the party.
Congress’s impressive performance has been attributed to its emphasis on welfare initiatives, including farm loan waivers and women-centric programmes.
“The verdict reflects people’s confidence in the Congress governance model,” TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud said.
Earlier, voters braved adverse weather conditions, and recorded an impressive 85.86% turnout, surpassing the 84.28% turnout recorded in the first phase. Election officials said the sustained enthusiasm reflected growing political engagement at the grassroots level.
Polling was conducted in 4,333 villages, covering a vast rural electorate. Of the 54.4 lakh eligible voters, as many as 46.7 lakh exercised their franchise. Women voters outnumbered men in several constituencies, playing a crucial role in boosting turnout figures.
Officials attributed the high voter participation to effective mobilisation by political parties and heightened awareness among the electorate.
Polling that began at 7 am and concluded at 5 pm was webcast to enable real-time monitoring, ensuring transparency and curbing irregularities.
With the combined results of the first two phases, Congress has taken a clear lead in the overall Gram Panchayat tally, strengthening its position ahead of future local body consolidations. The elections are widely seen as a key indicator of the public mood after the 2023 Assembly polls.
Attention now turns to the third and final phase scheduled for Wednesday, 17 December. With the turnout remaining resilient despite harsh weather, parties are expected to intensify last-minute micro-level strategies to maximise gains in the concluding round.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
