Countdown to Polls: Telangana Set for Municipal Voting on Feb 11

The Telangana State Election Commission has announced the schedule for the upcoming municipal elections. State Election Commissioner I. Rani Kumudini declared on Tuesday that elections will be held in a single phase across seven municipal corporations and 116 municipalities in the state. Following a decision by the state cabinet on January 18, the entire election process is set to proceed swiftly. Consequently, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect across Telangana.

Election Schedule:

• January 28: Nomination process begins

• January 30: Last date for filing nominations

• January 31: Scrutiny of nominations

• February 3: Final date for withdrawal of nominations

• February 11: Polling day

• February 12: Re-polling (if required)

• February 13: Counting of votes

After the scrutiny and completion of the withdrawal process, the final list of candidates will be announced on February 3. Polling will take place on February 11, and votes will be counted on February 13, with results officially declared immediately after counting. Last December, the state successfully conducted the gram panchayat elections.

A total of 2,996 wards will go to polls, covering 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations. Telangana has 5.243 million registered voters , including 2.562 million men , 2.68 million women , and 640 others . For these elections, 8,203 polling stations and 16,031 ballot boxes have been arranged. Commissioner Rani Kumudini urged every voter to exercise their democratic right on polling day.

Political Parties Gear Up for Battle

With the municipal election schedule announced, the political climate in Telangana has heated up. As nominations begin on January 28, parties are focusing on candidate selection and campaign strategies.

The ruling Congress and opposition BRS are treating these elections as highly prestigious. Riding the wave of its recent assembly election victory, Congress aims to consolidate urban voter support, while BRS is mobilizing its cadres at the grassroots level to maintain its dominance in key municipalities. The BJP, encouraged by higher voter turnout in the MP elections, is keen to demonstrate its strength in urban areas.

With the nomination deadline on January 31 approaching, competition for party tickets has intensified. When results are declared on February 13, all eyes will be on which party secures dominance in Telangana. From the moment the schedule was released, political debates, counterclaims, and criticisms have added extra drama to the state’s political landscape