Telangana Plans Hyderabad Civic Polls by Year-end
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has accelerated development programmes across the three corporations, targeting completion before November.
Hyderabad: The state government is preparing to conduct elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in November–December, followed by polls to the newly created Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC) and Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC), official sources said. The schedule will be finalised after the Election Commission completes its Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Telangana by the second week of October.
Elections to all three corporations will be held on the basis of the revised rolls. Once the voters’ list is finalised, polling stations for the new divisions will be notified in October. Reservations will be determined on the basis of the BC survey undertaken by the state government, with the election notification expected in November.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has accelerated development programmes across the three corporations, targeting completion before November. He launched works worth ₹1,511 crore in Malkajgiri and ₹1,674 crore in Cyberabad during public meetings held on Sunday and Monday, effectively sounding the poll bugle.
The elections are politically significant for the Congress, which has historically fared poorly in Greater Hyderabad. The party was restricted to single‑digit representation in GHMC polls in 2016 and 2020, and failed to win any Assembly constituency in the region in December 2023 despite forming the government in the state. It also drew a blank in the subsequent Lok Sabha elections. However, Congress leaders believe the situation has shifted in their favour after winning Secunderabad Cantonment and Jubilee Hills in by‑elections.
Political importance has grown following the reorganisation of local bodies within the Outer Ring Road limits. The government merged 27 municipalities and corporations into a reorganised Greater Hyderabad structure and carved out MMC and CMC, which were officially formed on February 11, 2026. The GHMC Act applies to all three corporations.
Party sources said one reason for holding GHMC elections first is that the Act mandates polls within six months of the expiry of the governing body’s term. Observers expect AIMIM to remain dominant in GHMC, capable of winning 60–70 of the 150 divisions, while Congress, BRS and BJP are likely to contest keenly in the remaining divisions. Officials indicated the government may assess GHMC results before proceeding with MMC and CMC polls.
The reorganisation has created confusion among voters and parties, with portions of the erstwhile GHMC transferred to MMC and CMC, and several local bodies merged into the Greater Hyderabad framework. With new boundaries and divisions, uncertainty remains over voting patterns, making the elections a crucial battle later this year.