Telangana Civic Body Polls: BJP Skips Nizamabad Race, Wins Big In Karimnagar

Telangana's urban local body elections have thrown up sharp political contrasts for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While the party secured a decisive mayoral victory in Karimnagar, it has chosen to sit in the opposition in Nizamabad, despite emerging as the single largest party there.

In the Nizamabad Municipal Corporation (NMC), the BJP secured 28 out of 60 seats, just three short of the 31 required for a majority. Despite being the frontrunner, BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind announced that the party would not contest the mayoral race.

"We earned the people's mandate through trust and conviction. The rest is arithmetic. Horse-trading is not my path," Arvind said, signalling that the party would not engage in backroom deals to secure power.

With the BJP stepping aside, the focus has shifted to coalition-building between Congress and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). Arvind took to social media to highlight what he called a "tacit understanding" between the two parties. While AIMIM is not the largest group, it has once again emerged as the kingmaker in a fractured verdict where ex officio votes will likely decide the final Mayor.

If a party has 2 MLAs and 1 MP who are registered to vote in that city, they suddenly have 3 extra votes to add to their tally. This can tip the scale, allowing a coalition (like Congress and AIMIM) to overtake the single largest party (BJP) during the secret ballot for Mayor.

Karimnagar: A Clean Sweep For The BJP

The scene in Karimnagar was entirely different, where the BJP sealed a comfortable victory.

The council holds 69 total votes, with a majority mark of 35. However, after the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chose to boycott the session, the "magic figure" dropped to 31. With the support of 34 corporators already in hand, the BJP comfortably crossed the finish line.

The BJP leadership finalised Kolagani Srinivas, corporator from the 2nd Division, as Mayor, and Sunil Rao as Deputy Mayor. 

The appointments were finalised by Telangana BJP State President N Ramchander Rao, with Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar in attendance.

Kolagani Srinivas's elevation is being celebrated by party insiders as a victory for the "common worker." A former student activist with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Srinivas rose through the party's youth wing and organisational ranks before becoming a corporator and, now, Mayor.

While the Congress performed strongly across several urban bodies in Telangana, the BJP's strong showing in both Nizamabad and Karimnagar represents its most significant urban gains since the 2020 polls.