Cleared: dkHyderabad: After the recent gram panchayat elections, over 52 lakh urban voters are set to give their mandate in 123 urban local bodies (ULBs) — 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations — with polling scheduled between 7am and 5pm on Wednesday. The elections will be conducted using ballot papers, while the results will be announced on Feb 13.Though several political parties are in the fray, the contest is expected to be largely triangular between Congress, BRS and BJP in a majority of the ULBs, and four-cornered in about 15 municipalities and corporations.Nearly 13,000 (12,944) candidates are contesting, including 10,719 from 2,569 wards in 116 municipalities and 2,225 candidates from 412 wards in the seven municipal corporations. In another 14 wards, including two in municipal corporations, the election was unanimous. In one ward, polling has been adjourned following the death of one of the contesting candidates.In the previous elections held in 2020, BRS won a majority of the urban civic bodies, followed by Congress, BJP and AIMIM in second, third and fourth places respectively. Political equations have changed since the Dec 2023 assembly polls, in which people voted Congress to power in Telangana. Chief minister A Revanth is expected to cast his vote at a polling booth located in Zilla Parishad High School for Boys in Kodangal town.Attention is also on the coal belt, which has five lakh votes of Singareni workers, retirees and their family members, who are expected to influence Congress’s prospects in at least eight urban local bodies.The State Election Commission said arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of municipal and corporation elections. State election commissioner I Rani Kumudini said polling would be held in 6,017 polling stations in 116 municipalities and another 2,174 polling stations within the limits of the seven municipal corporations.The total electorate is 52,17,413, including 25,49,750 men, 26,67,025 women and 638 others. The commission has appointed 1,379 returning officers and deployed 41,773 polling personnel. Webcasting facilities have been arranged at over 8,100 polling stations, and 16,382 ballot boxes would be used.The govt has declared a holiday on Wednesday in municipalities and municipal corporations where polling would be held. The holiday would apply to factories, shops, industries and employees within the respective municipal limits to enable voters to exercise their franchise.Many BJP candidates contesting from Karimnagar municipal corporation have taken an oath that they will not switch parties after the results are declared. BJP leadership in the ULB took the oath from its candidates amid concerns over possible poaching by parties seeking to elect the mayor and deputy mayor. Some candidates who won the 2020 municipal polls later shifted their loyalties to BRS, a concern raised by AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi during an election rally in Karimnagar town.
