Published Feb 19, 2026 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 19, 2026 | 9:00 AM
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy. Credit: x.com/revanth_anumula
Synopsis: Congress-led Telangana government under CM A Revanth Reddy is intensifying civic reforms ahead of elections to Hyderabad’s newly formed GHMC, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri corporations. With sanitation drives, revenue models, and infrastructure upgrades, the trifurcation is framed as decentralisation but strategically aimed at strengthening Congress’ urban foothold against BRS in the upcoming polls.
In a strategic move ahead of the much-anticipated elections to the newly formed three municipal corporations in Hyderabad, the Congress-led Telangana government under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is intensifying efforts to bolster civic infrastructure, sanitation, and revenue generation.
The recent trifurcation of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) into GHMC, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporations is being portrayed as a key reform to decentralise governance and enhance service delivery. The sub-text that is hard to miss is to help Congress sink roots in Hyderabad which remained impenetrable fortress for BRS.
The government’s preparations come at a critical juncture. Reorganising GHMC into three corporations is seen as a calculated effort by Congress to strengthen its foothold in urban Hyderabad, where the party struggled in the 2023 Assembly elections, failing to secure any of the 24 constituencies within GHMC limits.
The split of the behemoth GHMC is in line with the city’s three police commissionerates, aiming to also improve administrative efficiency in rapidly expanding zones.
After two corporations were carved out, the residual GHMC now covers 6 zones (Shamshabad, Rajendranagar, Charminar, Golconda, Khairatabad, and Secunderabad) with 30 circles and 150 wards. RV Karnan continues as Commissioner.
Cyberabad Municipal Corporation, carved out of GHMC encompasses 3 zones (Serilingampally, Kukatpally, and Quthbullapur) with 14 circles and 76 wards. G Srijana has been appointed as Commissioner while the third corporation -Malkajgiri – includes 3 zones (Malkajgiri, Uppal, and L.B. Nagar) with 14 circles and 74 wards. T Vinay Krishna Reddy is the new Commissioner.
Senior IAS officer and Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan has been appointed as the Special Officer for all three corporations to oversee the transition.
Apparently to brighten Congress prospects in the elections to the three city corporations which are likely in summer or a little later, CM Revanth Reddy, who also holds the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) portfolio, conducted a high-level review meeting at the State Secretariat on 17 February 2026.
The session focussed on cleanliness and sanitation across the three corporations. The CM warned of immediate suspensions of officials found lax in their duties, particularly in garbage removal and road maintenance. He announced personal inspections of every GHMC zone in the coming days, stating, “Officials will be suspended on the spot if they fail to maintain cleanliness.”
Commissioners of the three corporations were directed to conduct daily field visits at 6 AM to assess ground-level conditions. The meeting also addressed revenue enhancement strategies, including increasing income from advertising boards through smart poles at intersections equipped with CCTV cameras, electric cables, and ad spaces.
CM Reddy also instructed officials to study revenue models from cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru, and allocate 10 percent of ad boards for government welfare schemes. Strict action was mandated against advertisers causing issues.
The other infrastructure initiatives discussed include conducting studies on multi-level parking facilities on private lands, including along Necklace Road, implementing a Unicode system for streetlight management across all cities and towns, developing parks within the three corporations, with officials tasked to compile park data.
With polls to the three corporations on the horizon, potentially serving as a litmus test for Revanth Reddy’s leadership ahead of future state elections, the government is leveraging these reforms to project a commitment to efficient, welfare-oriented urban governance.
Congress’ recent success in urban local body elections elsewhere in Telangana indicates that its momentum is continuing.
As preparations intensify for the elections to the city corprorations, competitive electoral battle in Hyderabad’s restructured civic landscape become visible with BRS, wounded in the recent ULBs elections in Telangana, making a spirited effort to retain its hold in Hyderabad.
