The ruling Congress-backed candidates continued their winning streak, securing nearly 2,000 Sarpanch posts in the second phase of the Gram Panchayat elections in Telangana, followed by the main Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) supporters with nearly 1,000 posts and BJP-backed candidates with about 300 posts, while others won around 450 posts. The counting process was still under way at the time of reporting.
The results of the first phase reflected a similar trend. Congress-backed candidates recorded a strong performance, winning in nearly 2,000 villages across the State. BRS-supported candidates also fared better than expected, securing victories in about 800 villages.
The second phase of the Gram Panchayat elections witnessed a high voter turnout of 85.86%, with polling held for 3,911 Sarpanch posts covering 29,917 wards. Of the 54.4 lakh eligible voters, about 46.7 lakh exercised their franchise, according to a report by the State Election Commission on December 14.
Counting of votes for the second phase began at 2 p.m., with results being announced from 3 p.m. A total of 12,782 candidates contested for sarpanch positions and 71,071 for ward member seats.
Voter participation remained robust across districts, with male turnout at 85.71% and female turnout marginally higher at 86%. Polling by voters registered under the ‘others’ category stood at 41.96%. Several districts, including Warangal, Hanumakonda, Siddipet and Jangaon, reported polling percentages exceeding 91%. The voter turnout in the first phase stood at 84.28%. Polling was largely peaceful, though minor scuffles were reported between Congress and BRS supporters in several districts.
