Civic poll results endorsement of CM’s leadership: Experts

POlitical analysts feature said that the results of the recent municipal elections in Telangana has reasserted chief government minister A Revanth Reddy’s carry o'er the tell’s political landscape.The latest victory in the civic bodies comes close on the heels of the Congress’s sweep in the recent panchayat elections, where it captured about two-thirds of sarpanch posts and consolidated rural support across Telangana.“The outcome is a clear endorsement of his leadership and governance in just over two years. At the same time, it also exposed the bankruptcy of leadership in the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which ruled the state for nearly 10 years,” political analyst Ramakrishna Sangem said.The Congress dominated the municipal elections, winning 64 of 116 municipalities and four of seven municipal corporations that went to the polls on February 11. Hung verdicts were reported in several urban local bodies, many of which are expected to eventually align with the ruling party with the support of ex-officio votes.According to another analyst Srinivasa Rao Manchala, the chief minister, who had initially faced scepticism from both within and outside the party after assuming office, has steadily strengthened his position through successive electoral successes.“Speculation that internal dissent among Congress seniors could destabilise the government or weaken his leadership has now largely dissipated. Instead, the municipal poll outcome has entrenched his position both in the party and the government, enhancing his standing with the Congress high command and enabling him to exercise greater autonomy in governance,” Manchala said.According to a senior Congress leader, in the panchayat elections held across 94 assembly constituencies, the Congress secured majorities in 87 constituencies. In the municipal polls spanning 81 constituencies, the party demonstrated dominance in 68, leaving the opposition with influence in only a handful of segments.“Except for Medak, the party secured a majority of municipalities in nearly all Lok Sabha constituencies, underscoring its growing political dominance across the state,” Manchala said.The Congress also won key corporations including Mahbubnagar, Mancherial, Nalgonda and Ramagundam, and is likely to gain control of a few more with alliance support.While the Congress has consolidated its position, analysts noted that the BRS is grappling with a deepening political setback and an erosion of its narrative as the principal force in Telangana politics.Reduced to 13 municipalities and failing to win a single corporation, the BRS has struggled to mount an effective challenge to the ruling party. The defeat comes amid organisational drift and the continuing shift of several leaders and legislators towards the Congress.“Successive losses — from the 2023 Assembly elections to Lok Sabha polls, by-elections and now local body elections — have weakened the BRS’ ability to present itself as a credible alternative. The party has also faced the embarrassment of losing previously held strongholds, including the Jubilee Hills assembly seat,” Sangem said.The BJP, despite its parliamentary presence, also failed to make significant gains in the municipal polls, he pointed out.With elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and other local bodies expected this year, Congress leaders are confident that the momentum will continue.