BJP Expands Urban Footprint in Telangana, Emerges as Dominant Force in Over 15 Municipalities

Hyderabad, Feb 2026 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has recorded a significant expansion in its presence across urban local bodies (ULBs) in Telangana, emerging as the largest party in more than 15 municipalities, state BJP president N. Ramchander Rao said on Monday. Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, he described the party’s performance in the 2026 ULB elections as a landmark moment that reflects sustained organisational growth and rising public support.

Ramchander Rao said the BJP has not only strengthened its vote base but has also succeeded in opening its account in several municipalities where it previously had no representation. According to him, the latest results underline the party’s growing acceptance in urban Telangana and signal a shift in the political landscape, particularly in northern parts of the state.

The state BJP chief was felicitated by party corporators who were elected as Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation, a development he termed symbolic of the party’s expanding influence in key urban centres. He claimed that the BJP firmly resisted and defeated attempts by both the Indian National Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to undermine the democratic mandate delivered by voters.

Highlighting specific victories, Ramchander Rao alleged that despite what he described as conspiracies by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the BJP succeeded in “hoisting the saffron flag” in Bhainsa municipality. He said this victory demonstrated the party’s ability to overcome entrenched political equations and expand into challenging regions.

Providing comparative data, Ramchander Rao noted that the BJP increased its ward tally from around 240 in the 2020 municipal elections to nearly 340 wards in 2026. This net gain of approximately 100 wards, he said, reflects steady and sustained organisational strengthening at the grassroots level. “From being influential in just two municipalities earlier, the BJP has now emerged as the single-largest party or a power-deciding force in more than 25 municipalities across Telangana,” he said.

He added that the party’s role has shifted dramatically over the last six years. In many municipalities where the BJP stood third in 2020, it has now become a decisive post-poll power influencer, especially in North Telangana. Detailing area-wise gains, he said the party won 17 seats in Karimnagar Municipal Corporation, 11 wards in Adilabad municipality, eight wards in Kamareddy, and six wards in Metpalli municipality. These results, he argued, indicate not just numerical growth but also geographic and structural expansion.

Ramchander Rao also pointed to what he described as a clear decline in the performance of the BRS. He claimed the party’s vote share fell from about 43 per cent in 2020 to nearly 29 per cent in 2026, a drop of around 14 percentage points. Its ward strength, he added, declined sharply from nearly 1,340 wards to about 780, resulting in a loss of more than 550 wards.

Turning to Congress, he noted that despite being the ruling party in Telangana, it managed to win only about 70 of the 123 urban local bodies. This, he said, meant that nearly half of urban Telangana has not given Congress clear control. He further claimed that the Congress vote share slipped from roughly 44 per cent in the 2023 Assembly elections to around 40 per cent in the 2026 ULB polls, reinforcing the BJP’s assertion of a shifting urban mandate.