Rural Telangana appears to have swung decisively towards the ruling Congress in the first phase of the Gram Panchayat elections, dealing a blow to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which have maintained a firm grip on several districts for nearly a decade.
The final results from several districts indicate a clear consolidation of rural support for the Congress, while the BRS struggled to retain its traditional bases.
Khammam, Gadwal, Nalgonda and Medak districts saw a strong surge for the Congress, while Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Warangal, once considered the BRS heartland, witnessed a significant shift, with the ruling party outpacing its rivals even in Sircilla, the constituency of BRS working president KT Rama Rao.
Congress registered notable victories across Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Mancherial, Asifabad, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Yadadri, Suryapet, Nagarkurnool, Gadwal, Narayanpet, Sangareddy, Hanamkonda, Medak, Warangal, Bhupalpally, Mulugared Mahabuika, Jangaon district and Mulugared Mahaguba Jangaad.
BRS bastions like Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Gadwal, Narayanpet, Medak, Hanamkonda, Rangareddy, Vikarabad, Jangaon and Bhupalpally have seen significant erosion of the BRS party base.
A neck-and-neck contest developed between Congress and BRS in Jagityal, Adilabad, Mahabubnagar and Wanapartha. In Siddipet, the stronghold of former minister T. Harish Rao, the BRS was able to maintain its dominance. Of the 163 Gram Panchayats that went to polls, BRS-backed candidates won 73, while the Congress secured 64. The district remains one of the few where the BRS has outpolled the ruling party. One of the most symbolic results came from Sircilla. Out of 85 panchayats, Congress-backed candidates secured 39 seats while BRS won 21, according to the ruling party’s claim.
However, the BJP has failed to make an impact anywhere except a few pockets of Karimnagar represented by Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay. Interestingly, he fared poorly in Nizamabad, Adilabad and Mahabubnagar districts, all parliamentary seats represented by the BJP.
The first phase of the Panchayat polls reflects a significant shift in Telangana’s rural political landscape. With the Congress showing dominance in most of the districts, the fight in the second phase is more interesting.
Published – 12 Dec 2025 0:24 IST
