Congress Dominates First Phase of Telangana Gram Panchayat Elections with Sweeping Victory

Hyderabad, Dec 2025 : The ruling Congress registered an emphatic victory in the first phase of Gram Panchayat elections in Telangana, winning more than half of the 4,236 Sarpanch posts that went to polls. The results, announced late Thursday night, signal strong grassroots support for the newly formed government and mark a significant setback for the opposition parties.

Congress-backed candidates secured 2,319 Sarpanch posts, including those elected unopposed. Even though Gram Panchayat elections are officially non-party based, the political influence was unmistakable, with Congress-supported contenders registering decisive wins across a majority of rural bodies.

The main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) finished a distant second, winning 1,159 Sarpanch posts, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 188 victories. Independents and candidates backed by smaller groups claimed 534 posts.

Out of the 4,236 Sarpanch positions notified, 396 candidates were elected unanimously. Polling was held for the remaining 3,834 posts across 31 districts on Thursday. According to state officials, the Congress achieved a sweeping majority in all districts except Siddipet and Kumaram Bheem. In these two districts, BRS-backed candidates dominated the results.

Congress made significant gains in Nalgonda, Khammam, Medak, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Warangal, Adilabad, Suryapet, Karimnagar, Kamareddy, Jangaon, Nagarkurnool, Narayanpet, Nizamabad, Nirmal, Peddapalli, Mancherial, Rajanna Sircilla, Vikarabad, Mulugu, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, and Jagtial districts. In contrast, BRS managed to strongly challenge Congress in districts like Mahabubabad, Mahabubnagar, Wanaparthy, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Sangareddy, Rangareddy, and Hanumakonda.

An impressive voter turnout of 84.28 per cent was recorded. Polling, conducted between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., covered 3,834 Sarpanch posts and 27,628 Ward Member posts. A total of 12,960 candidates contested for the Sarpanch roles, while 65,455 vied for Ward Member positions. More than 56 lakh eligible voters cast their ballots across 37,562 polling stations spread over 189 mandals.

The vote counting began at 2 p.m. and continued past midnight. Recounting was conducted in Panchayats where the victory margin was as narrow as one or two votes. According to the State Election Commission (SEC), nominations were not filed for five Sarpanch posts and 169 Ward Member posts. Additionally, courts imposed a stay on elections for one Gram Panchayat and 10 Ward Member positions.

Out of the total electorate of 56,19,430 — comprising 27,41,070 men and 28,78,159 women — 45,15,141 voters exercised their franchise in this phase. Ensuring smooth conduct of the polls, the state deployed over one lakh polling staff and more than 50,000 police personnel. Webcasting was arranged at 3,461 Gram Panchayats to enable real-time monitoring of the voting process.

State Congress President Mahesh Kumar Goud welcomed the results, saying they reflected “the people’s confidence in the Congress government and its commitment to strengthen rural development.”

As per the SEC’s schedule, Gram Panchayat elections are being conducted in three phases on December 11, 14, and 17, covering 12,728 Sarpanch and 1,12,242 Ward Member posts. A total of 1.66 crore rural voters are eligible to participate across all phases.

The Telangana Cabinet had earlier decided to conduct only Gram Panchayat elections in December, as a crucial ₹3,000 crore central grant is set to lapse on March 31, 2026, if not utilised. Elections to Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs), Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs), and municipal corporations will be conducted after the High Court delivers final orders regarding 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs).

In October, the High Court struck down the state’s order providing 42 per cent BC reservation but permitted elections with a 50 per cent cap on total reservations. The SEC has currently earmarked 17.08 per cent reservation for BCs, with 2,176 of the 12,735 Gram Panchayats reserved for them.

Team Maverick.