In a significant political development in Telangana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday captured both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts in the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation, marking a historic milestone for the party in the state’s urban governance landscape. This is the first time since the formation of Telangana in 2014 that the BJP will head a municipal corporation.
Ward 2 corporator Kolagani Srinivas was elected as Mayor, while Ward 42 corporator Y Sunil Rao assumed office as Deputy Mayor following the election process held on Monday. The BJP secured the mayoral post with 34 votes, bolstered by support from one corporator of the All India Forward Block (AIFB) and two independent corporators. The tally also included the ex officio vote of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who represents the Karimnagar Lok Sabha constituency.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) abstained from the voting process, paving the way for the BJP’s decisive victory.
Out of the total 66 wards in Karimnagar, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 30 seats. The Indian National Congress secured 14 wards, while the BRS won nine seats. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and AIFB each won three wards, and seven seats went to independent candidates.
The final vote count demonstrated the BJP’s ability to consolidate support beyond its elected strength, enabling it to cross the majority mark.
Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao described the outcome as a victory for democratic values, stating that the party successfully formed the municipal leadership despite alleged attempts by rival parties to overturn the people’s mandate. In a post on X, he said the BJP administration would work toward transforming Karimnagar into a model city aligned with the vision of “Viksit Telangana – Viksit Bharat.”
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar also termed the moment “historic” and emotional, congratulating the newly elected Mayor and Deputy Mayor. He credited voters for placing their faith in the development agenda championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Reflecting on the journey, Sanjay said the victory carried personal significance, recalling his own experience as a corporator working ward by ward in Karimnagar. He praised party workers for their perseverance despite what he described as political pressure and challenges during the electoral process.
The BJP’s victory in Karimnagar is being viewed as symbolically important in Telangana’s evolving political landscape, where urban local bodies have traditionally been dominated by regional parties. The party leadership framed the result as evidence of growing grassroots support and organisational expansion in the state.
While this marks the BJP’s first municipal corporation leadership in Telangana after statehood, the party has previously achieved success in urban local governance in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh. It briefly led the Warangal Municipal Corporation in 2002 through an alliance with the Telugu Desam Party and earlier headed the Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation in 1981 when N. S. N. Reddy became Mayor — the party’s first such milestone in the Telugu-speaking region.
With the BJP now at the helm of the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation, political observers will closely watch how the party translates its electoral victory into governance outcomes. The leadership has pledged development-driven administration, positioning the win as a stepping stone toward strengthening its presence in Telangana’s urban political arena.
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