Telangana Finalises Ward and Mayor Reservations, Paving Way for Municipal Elections

Hyderabad, Jan 2026 : In a significant step towards conducting long-pending municipal elections in Telangana, the state government has finalised the reservation of wards and offices of chairpersons and mayors across 121 municipalities and 10 municipal corporations. The move clears a major procedural hurdle and sets the stage for urban local body polls, which are expected to be held next month.

The Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department on Wednesday issued a formal notification detailing reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Backward Classes (BCs), and women. The reservation framework has been prepared in accordance with constitutional and statutory guidelines, with SC and ST reservations based on the 2011 Census, and BC reservations determined as per the recommendations of the Dedicated Commission.

Among the 10 mayoral posts across municipal corporations, four have been reserved for women, underlining the government’s push for greater female participation in local governance. One mayoral post each has been reserved for SC and ST candidates. Three posts have been earmarked for BCs, including one for a BC woman, while one post remains in the unreserved category.

In the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), which has recently expanded after the merger of 27 urban local bodies, reservations have been finalised for all 300 wards. Of these, 122 wards are reserved for BCs, including 61 for BC women. Another 76 wards are reserved exclusively for women. Seventy-four wards fall under the unreserved category. Additionally, five wards have been reserved for STs, including two for women, while 23 wards are reserved for SCs, including 11 for women. With these allocations, women will have 50 percent representation in the expanded GHMC.

The government has also completed the reservation process for wards in other major municipal corporations, including Kothagudem, Khammam, Warangal, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Ramagundam, Mancherial, Nalgonda, and Mahabubnagar.

At the municipal level, out of 121 chairperson posts, 31 have been reserved for women. A total of 38 posts have been allotted to BCs, including 19 for BC women. Five posts have been reserved for STs, including two for women, while 17 posts are reserved for SCs, including eight for women. The remaining 30 chairperson posts are unreserved.

Meanwhile, the State Election Commission has published the voter lists for 118 municipalities and five municipal corporations, covering a total electorate of 52.43 lakh voters. Voter lists for three municipalities and five corporations, including GHMC, are yet to be released. The process of mapping voters is currently underway in urban local bodies whose terms ended in July 2025, as preparations intensify for the upcoming elections.