BRS uses municipal polls to stage assertive comeback

Despite being in power, the Congress failed to convert municipal polls into a clean sweep, as the BRS staged a strong comeback from the opposition, retaining its urban base and signalling growing public discontent midway through the government’s term

Hyderabad: Local body elections held in the middle of a government’s term usually favour the ruling party which has access to power, implementation of welfare schemes and visible development. But the municipal results tell a different story as the BRS has successfully used them to script an assertive political comeback despite being in the opposition.

On paper, the Congress secured a majority of urban local bodies. But a closer look indicates shifting grounds and realities. The BRS has won over 760 wards across civic bodies and emerged either victorious or decisively influential in a significant number of civic bodies. The party directly secured 16 urban local bodies. Nearly 30 municipalities have thrown up hung verdicts, limiting the ruling party’s ability to claim a clean sweep.

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In 2020, the then TRS (now BRS) dominated urban Telangana, winning 1,762 of 3,112 wards across 10 corporations and 120 municipalities. Its vote share stood at 44 percent in municipalities and 36.7 percent in corporations. The Congress was a distant second.

The tide turned in 2023, with the Congress winning the Assembly with 39.4 per cent vote share and 64 seats, pushing BRS down to 39 seats with a 37.35 percent vote share. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, BRS drew a blank after its vote share fell to 16.62 per cent.

But the 2025 panchayat results gave a different verdict, with the BRS improving its vote share to an estimated 29 per cent. Though it was lesser when compared to previous performances including the Assembly elections, political observers felt that it was a significant gain considering the Lok Sabha polls.

Though the BRS faced questions about its future, the party’s performance in recent panchayat elections and the latest municipal polls have helped it rebuild confidence. Even after losing power and facing defections, BRS kept its local network active. In municipal elections, local workers and booth-level strength mattered more than political rhetoric and BRS proved it remained strong.

The BRS projected the polls as a test of the Congress government’s performance, with focus on delays in implementing six guarantees and 420 promises as well as people’s issues. And now, the results have indicated the growing discontent against the ruling Congress due to its failures.

For BRS, the gains were not just about seats, but restored morale after recent setbacks. The party also reaffirmed its position as the principal opposition, and kept its urban base intact.

While municipal polls do not decide whether governments continue in power, these elections gave clear indication of the shifting public mood. With the BRS now opening doors for alliances with like-minded secular forces, its position is only getting stronger.