Congress Consolidates Dominance in Telangana, Wins Over Half of Gram Panchayats in Second Phase

Hyderabad, Dec 2025 : The Congress party maintained its dominance in the second phase of Telangana’s rural local body elections, securing more than half of the contested Gram Panchayats, while the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) improved its performance, posing a significant challenge to the ruling party.

Out of 4,333 Sarpanch posts contested in the second phase, Congress-backed candidates emerged victorious in 2,245 seats, accounting for 51.81 percent of the total. The BRS came second with 1,188 seats, showing a marked improvement compared to the first phase and indicating growing support in certain districts. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lagged behind, winning 268 seats, while independents and other candidates claimed 624 Sarpanch posts.

Polling was conducted on Sunday for 3,911 Sarpanch posts and 29,917 Ward Member posts across 193 mandals. Out of 54,40,339 eligible voters, a high turnout of 85.86 percent (46,70,972 voters) exercised their franchise to decide the fate of 12,782 Sarpanch candidates and 71,071 Ward Member candidates. The counting of votes began at 2 p.m., following the conclusion of polling at 1 p.m.

Under the second phase notification issued by the State Election Commission (SEC), 4,333 Sarpanch and 38,350 Ward Member seats were up for grabs. Of these, 415 Sarpanch and 8,307 Ward Member candidates were elected unopposed, while no nominations were filed for 108 Ward Member posts. Elections were not conducted in two Gram Panchayats and 18 Wards.

Congress secured a majority across most districts except for Siddipet, Komaram Bheem, Jangaon, and Nirmal. The BRS won a majority in Siddipet, Komaram Bheem, and Jangaon, while the BJP emerged as the leading party in Nirmal. Overall, Congress captured majority seats in 27 districts. Notably, in two Sarpanch seats, the winner was decided by a draw of lots after two candidates secured an equal number of votes, and five candidates won by a single-vote margin, highlighting the competitiveness of the elections.

With the conclusion of the two phases, Congress-backed candidates have won 4,579 out of 8,568 total Panchayat posts. The BRS stands second with 2,357 seats, the BJP secured 457, and independents and others captured 1,162 posts. In the first phase, held on December 11, Congress had won 3,834 Sarpanch, 27,346 Ward Member, and 3,347 Upa Sarpanch posts, with an 84.28 percent voter turnout from 56,19,430 registered voters.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud said the results of the second phase reflect the strong public confidence in the Congress government’s performance. Minister for Transport and BC Welfare Ponnam Prabhakar appealed to voters to support Congress candidates in the third and final phase to ensure the continued development of villages.

The third phase of elections is scheduled for December 17. Meanwhile, elections for Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs), Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs), and municipal corporations will take place following the High Court’s final orders on 42 percent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs). In October, the High Court had struck down the government’s 42 percent BC reservation order but allowed elections to proceed with a 50 percent cap on total reservations across all categories.

With Congress maintaining its overall lead and BRS showing gains in key districts, the Telangana Gram Panchayat polls underscore the competitive dynamics shaping rural local governance in the state.

Team Maverick