Telangana Municipal Elections: Nominations to Begin Today

The process for municipal elections in Telangana formally began on Wednesday with the release of the election notification, setting the stage for a single-phase poll next month. Voting will be held on February 11, counting will take place on February 13, and the election of mayors, deputy mayors, chairpersons and vice-chairpersons is scheduled for February 16. With the notification issued, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force across the state.

Elections will be conducted for 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations. The acceptance of nominations begins today, with January 30 fixed as the last date for filing papers. Scrutiny of nominations will be held on January 31, objections may be raised on February 1, and a final decision on objections will be taken on February 2. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until February 3, when the final list of contestants will be announced.

A total of 52.43 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in the elections, including 25.62 lakh men and 26.80 lakh women. Polling will be held across 2,996 wards, for which 8,203 polling stations and 136 counting centres have been arranged.

The elections are expected to witness intense competition among the three major parties. The ruling Congress is aiming to extend its recent success in the Assembly, Parliament and panchayat elections, while the opposition BRS is seeking to reassert its political strength. The BJP, meanwhile, is looking to expand its footprint in urban areas. A keen contest is anticipated in major municipal corporations such as Karimnagar, Mancherial, Nizamabad, Kothagudem, Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar and Ramagundam.

Election officials have issued a key clarification for prospective candidates, stating that only those who have cleared their property tax dues will be permitted to file nominations. As a result, several aspirants have been rushing to settle outstanding arrears.