Hyderabad: The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) continued its dominance in Telangana after it managed to win about 100 plus of the 139 muncipalities (120) and corporations (9) that went to polls on 22 January in the state. Out of the 2,203 wards for which the results were declared (out of the total of 3,535) till Saturday night, the TRS won 1,278 (58%), leaving both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) far behind.

Till 8.30 pm, results were declared for 2,203 wards out of the total 3,535 ones that went to polls, while counting was still underway among the others in the municipalities and corporations. Out of the 2,203 wards, the Congress and BJP won just 442 and 188 wards respectively. The results are a major boost for the TRS, which managed to win just nine of the 17 seats during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP, which was looking to become an alternative to the TRS, clearly still has its work cut out to come anywhere close to challenging TRS supremo and chief minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR). Out of the declared results, released by the Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC), the All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) managed to win 62 wards, and also managed to retain the Bhainsa municipality, which it has been winning since the last three terms.

The Congress, which still continues to be the main opposition, is evidently unable to come close to taking on KCR in the state. However, both the grand old party and the BJP this time were caught off-guard by the TRS, they were not even able to file candidates in all the 3,000-plus wards across the state.

BJP chief spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao, while accepting the mandate, however alleged that the TRS indulged in “brazen misuse and abuse of power". “The results also establish the fact that if elections were to be fairly and legally conducted by following due process of the Election Commission guidelines, BJP will rise as a clear alternative to the TRS in the state," he said in a statement on Saturday.

Voting for urban local body polls was held in the state on 22 January.

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