The political environment in Telangana is poised for a significant contest as the State Election Commission (SEC) has announced the schedule for the 2026 Municipal Elections. Polling is set for February 11, 2026, for 116 municipalities and 7 municipal corporations. These elections are perceived as a referendum on the ruling Congress government and a critical moment for the opposition.
The Election Timeline
State Election Commissioner released a single-phase schedule covering 2,996 wards across 32 districts.
The timeline is as follows:
Last Date for Filing Nominations January 30, 2026
Scrutiny of Nominations January 31, 2026
Withdrawal of Candidatures February 3, 2026
Date of Polling February 11, 2026
Counting of Votes & Results February 13, 2026
Election of Mayors/Chairpersons February 16, 2026
The electorate for this election totals 52.43 lakh, with female voters (26.80 lakh) slightly surpassing male voters (25.62 lakh), marking women’s votes as an important demographic for all parties.
Congress - Development over Politics
After their success in the 2023 Assembly elections and a strong showing in the December 2025 Gram Panchayat elections, where they supported winners in nearly 66% of seats, the Congress is adopting a "go-it-alone" strategy. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is centering the campaign on "Development over Politics," emphasizing urban infrastructure and welfare initiatives. To manage internal conflicts, the party is employing "survey-based" candidate selection. Ministers have been assigned as in-charges for specific areas to maintain order.
To discourage "rebel" candidates, the leadership is offering nominated positions in state corporations to those who withdraw their candidacy in favour of the party’s official candidates.
BRS - The Quest for Relevance
For the BRS, these elections represent a "prestige battle" to affirm their position as a main alternative to Congress. Stressing the "failed promises" of the Congress government related to the six guarantees. The party is concentrating on its traditional urban strongholds and the development projects carried out during its decade in power. There are indications of an informal understanding with the BJP in certain areas to challenge Congress, although both parties formally deny any alliance.
BJP - The Panna Pramukh Initiative
The BJP aims to build on its 2024 Lok Sabha performance, which saw a notable increase in vote share in Telangana. State team has focusing on central welfare initiatives and criticisms of both BRS (past governance) and Congress (current leadership). State leaders has been implementing the 'Panna Pramukh' strategy to ensure high voter turnout through micro-management at the voter-list page level, particularly focusing on North Telangana and urban centers like Karimnagar and Nizamabad.
Probable Outcomes
Recent electoral data and the current political context suggest several trends. If the December 2025 Panchayat results are indicative, Congress appears to hold a statistical edge as their vote share has risen from 39.5% (2023) to over 50% in recent local elections (e.g., Jubilee Hills bypoll). Mainly ruling party is facing the rebel risk. The most significant challenge to a Congress "sweep" could arise from internal dissent. In the 2025 rural elections, internal rebels cost the party nearly 10-15% of potential seats.
Unlike rural contests, voters in the 116 municipalities often prioritize civic amenities like drainage, roads, and drinking water. The BJP generally performs better in urban settings, suggesting they could become the second-largest party in various corporations, potentially pushing BRS down to third place. While Congress is positioned to secure a majority of the 123 ULBs, the extent of their victory will hinge on their ability to manage internal "rebel" candidates and counter the BJP’s focused micro-targeting in urban areas.