With the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government moving towards conducting long-pending civic body elections, Telangana has once again slipped into election mode. While Assembly elections determine who governs the state, civic polls reveal something deeper: the organisational strength, urban appeal, and future trajectory of political parties. For Revanth Reddy, these elections are not routine local contests—they are a referendum on his leadership and his party’s revival or consolidation prospects in Telangana.
Riding high on claims of having performed well in recent gram panchayat elections—despite those contests not being fought on party symbols—the youthful Chief Minister appears confident of translating that momentum into urban local bodies, most importantly the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). That confidence is further reinforced by a strategic administrative decision: the expansion of GHMC’s boundaries.
The state government has merged 27 municipalities and 51gram panchayats from Rangareddy, Medchal–Malkajgiri, and Sangareddy districts into GHMC limits, effectively extending the city up to the Outer Ring Road (ORR). Officially, the move is aimed at addressing uneven development, managing rapid urbanisation, and ensuring integrated civic planning across Hyderabad’s expanding periphery. Politically, however, the expansion reshapes the electoral arithmetic—much like the earlier expansion carried out during the Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy era.
Simultaneously, GHMC has announced a Rs 2 crore allocation for each corporator division—Rs 1 crore for works directly proposed by the corporator and another Rs 1 crore requiring the consent of the district in-charge minister. The funds are earmarked for roads, drainage, street lighting, nala development, parks, and community infrastructure. While framed as governance reform, the timing inevitably gives it political overtones ahead of the polls.
To understand the stakes, one must revisit the 2020 GHMC elections. Then, the ruling TRS (now BRS) suffered significant erosion, winning 56 seats compared to 99 earlier. The BJP emerged as the biggest gainer, surging from just four seats to an impressive 48 in the 150-member corporation. AIMIM, as expected, retained its fortress with 44 seats. Congress, however, was humiliated—managing to win just one seat, exposing its near-total collapse in urban Telangana.
Despite losing ground, the BRS stitched together a post-poll alliance with AIMIM to secure the mayor’s post, demonstrating how arithmetic, not ideology, dictates civic politics in Hyderabad. That reality remains unchanged today. None of the major parties is expected to secure an outright majority, making post-election alliances inevitable and AIMIM the perennial kingmaker.
Against this backdrop, Revanth Reddy faces a stark political challenge. The GHMC expansion could marginally help Congress by bringing semi-urban and newly urbanised areas into play, where anti-incumbency against the BRS and organisational fatigue could work in its favour. However, breaking into AIMIM strongholds remains virtually impossible for any party, leaving limited room for dramatic gains.
If the BRS manages to retain even 40–45 of its earlier 56 seats, it would remain a formidable force. Similarly, if the BJP holds on to around 40 of its previous 48, it would reaffirm its urban base. In such a scenario, Congress must dramatically improve its tally—at least to 30–40 seats—to gain any real bargaining power. Anything less would relegate it once again to irrelevance in Hyderabad’s civic politics.
Beyond GHMC, the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) presents another crucial battleground. Of the 66 wards, the BRS currently holds 48, while the BJP has made inroads with 10 seats. Congress, once again, failed to make a meaningful impact. A repeat of that performance would further weaken the party’s claim of resurgence.
Ultimately, the civic polls are about more than municipalities and mayors. They will indicate whether Congress under Revanth Reddy can convert Assembly success into sustained political dominance, or whether Telangana’s urban voters remain unconvinced. For the BRS and BJP, the elections are equally critical to assert relevance and momentum ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls.
Failure by Congress to capture at least one of the two major civic bodies—GHMC or GWMC—could trigger uncomfortable questions about leadership, organisational strength, and party unity. Success, on the other hand, would cement Revanth Reddy’s authority and redraw Telangana’s political map. Either way, these civic polls are set to define the state’s political future far beyond municipal boundaries.
