Congress registers strong performance in Phase-1 of Sarpanch polls; BRS resilient, BJP struggles

Hyderabad

Congress-backed candidates recorded an impressive performance in the first phase of the Panchayat elections, winning in nearly 2,000 villages across Telangana, while the BRS-supported candidates also fared better than expected, winning in about 800 villages, when reports last came in. In contrast, BJP-supported candidates failed to make a significant impact, barely touching the 150 mark.

Though the elections were officially held without party symbols, voters in rural Telangana were largely aware of the candidates’ political affiliations and local alignments.

State Election Commissioner Rani Kumudini revealed that the voter turnout stood at a robust 84.28%, with 45,15,141 votes cast in the first phase. Of the 4,236 Gram Panchayats and 37,440 wards notified for polls, 395 Sarpanches and 9,331 Ward Members were elected unanimously, leading to polling in 3,836 GPs and 27,960 wards.

Congress-supported candidates dominated the results, securing victories in more than half of the contested villages. BRS, despite being pushed to the Opposition benches, secured wins in around 800 villages.

BJP, which has historically struggled to penetrate village-level politics, performed modestly with wins in about 150 villages. Detailed constituency-wise performance is expected to emerge in the coming days.

TPCC president and MLC Mahesh Kumar Goud expressed happiness over what he termed a “resounding victory,” claiming that Congress-backed candidates had won nearly 90% of the seats declared so far. He credited the results to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s two years of governance focused on welfare and development. “People have endorsed our slogan of welfare, social justice, and development. The sweeping victory of Congress candidates in the Sarpanch elections is proof of that,” he said.

Congress MP Chamala Kiran Reddy added that the results had exposed what he called “hollow claims” by the BRS on social media. “BRS had challenged the Congress to conduct elections claiming anti-incumbency. The verdict has proved otherwise,” he said.

The BRS, however, maintained that it had performed impressively despite what it alleged were “threats” by the ruling party that voters would lose benefits if they elected BRS-backed Sarpanches. Party leaders said that winning 800 villages despite being out of power demonstrated the BRS’s grassroots strength.

95-year-old, father of Jagadish Reddy, wins in Suryapet

In an interesting development, Guntakandla Ramachandra Reddy, father of former minister G. Jagadish Reddy, won the Sarpanch election in his native village Nagaram in Suryapet district with the support of BRS.

At 95 years, he is believed to be the oldest contestant and winner in the current election cycle. Though he had never contested elections before, Ramachandra Reddy entered the fray expressing a desire to “serve the society officially.”

Known for decades as a respected elder who played a pivotal role in village development, his decision to contest generated widespread interest in the State.