Hyderabad: The Telangana municipal elections have reached their decisive phase as authorities start counting votes across the state. Counting will cover 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations, beginning at 8 a.m. today.
Counting Process and Protocol
Officials have completed arrangements at 136 counting centres, confirmed State Election Commission Secretary Lingyanaik. They will count postal ballots first, followed by regular ballots. Ballot boxes are brought ward by ward to counting tables, where officials sort votes in batches of 25 and mix them in drums. Each table handles 1,000 ballots per round. Candidate-specific trays receive the votes, and every 100 ballots are counted as a bundle.
After each round, officials record votes for each candidate, NOTA, and invalid ballots. Candidate agents provide their signatures for verification. This procedure continues for all wards, and once completed, candidates receive official certification documents.
Security Arrangements
DGP Shivadhar Reddy confirmed that authorities deployed 12,000 police personnel, including armed units and quick response teams. CCTV cameras monitor every counting centre, while officials supervise operations from a command control centre. Only personnel with authorised passes may enter counting areas.
Officials also imposed restrictions within 200 meters of counting centres to prevent disturbances. They warned that anyone violating the rules will face strict action.
Early Trends and Key Results
The first results appeared around 9:20 a.m. in several municipalities:
In Ibrahimpatnam, BRS candidate Trilok and Congress candidate Saritha won their respective wards.
Yadagirigutta saw BJP candidate Boda Radh secure victory.
Congress candidates Swapna and Gundlapalli Vani won in other wards.
Early postal ballot counts indicate Congress leading in Madhira and Nagerkurnool.
District-wise Highlights
Sangareddy: BRS dominated Gaddapotharam, winning all four wards.
Nalgonda: Congress led in Nandikonda, securing 11 of 12 wards; an independent candidate won in Devarakonda.
Khammam: TDP candidate Bodepudi Revathi won the Madhira 10th ward.
Ashwaraopet: Congress secured 17 of 22 wards, while BRS and BJP won a few seats.
Overall, Congress has won 225 seats, BRS 125, BJP 28, and other parties 25 so far.
Maintaining Order and Transparency
Officials urge political leaders and workers to follow election rules. They warned that any misbehaviour against election staff will result in strict action.
In Sirisilla, authorities faced crowd pressure at the counting centre. To maintain order, they set up visual barriers and posters, including a hill photo that surprised residents. Officials emphasised that all arrangements are aimed at ensuring a safe and transparent counting process.
తెలంగాణలో మున్సిపల్ ఎన్నికల ఓట్ల లెక్కింపు ఉత్కంఠగా కొనసాగుతోంది. #Telangana #Municipales2026 pic.twitter.com/siNhjZ65La
— YK Tv Digital (@yktvdigital) February 13, 2026
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