Telangana To Hold Municipal Elections on February 11 in 116 Municipalities, Vote Counting on Feb 13

The Telangana State Election Commission has formally announced the schedule for municipal elections across the state, setting the stage for a major urban political exercise.

State Election Commissioner Rani Kumudini confirmed that polling will take place on February 11, while the counting of votes is scheduled for February 13. With the notification now issued, election preparations have officially begun across Telangana.

Poll Schedule and Voter Participation

According to the Election Commission, more than 5.3 million voters are eligible to participate in the upcoming municipal polls. The elections will be held for 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations, covering a large portion of Telangana's urban local bodies. Candidates will be able to file their nomination papers between January 28 and January 31.

The announcement is expected to activate the full election machinery, with political parties beginning their campaign preparations and election authorities moving into implementation mode ahead of polling day.

Model Code of Conduct Comes into Effect

With the release of the election notification, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force across Telangana. The code regulates the behaviour of political parties, candidates, and government officials during the election period to ensure free and fair polling.

Election officials stated that the enforcement of the code will remain in place until the completion of the vote counting process. Administrative decisions, public announcements, and political activities will now be governed by the prescribed guidelines.

GHMC Excluded From Current Polls

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation will not be part of the municipal elections scheduled in February. While elections are being conducted for 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations, GHMC has been excluded from the current schedule.

Recently, Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar stated that a decision on whether GHMC will continue as a single civic body or be divided into multiple corporations will be taken after February 10. He noted that the term of the current GHMC elected body ends on February 10, after which civic officials will assume responsibility for governance and public service delivery.

There is a possibility that GHMC may be split into two or three new corporations after February. If divided into three, the proposed civic bodies could include Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri. Under this arrangement, the Hyderabad Corporation may consist of around 150 wards, while the remaining two corporations could have approximately 75 wards each.

For the moment, the State Election Commission has clarified that the February election schedule applies only to 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations across Telangana.