Hyderabad: With the last date for withdrawal of nominations and submission of B-forms ending on Tuesday, the municipal election campaign gathered pace on Wednesday, with top leaders including chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of the Congress, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, and KT Rama Rao and T Harish of the BRS taking the lead.While CM Revanth addressed an election rally in Miryalaguda, Nitin Nabin spoke at a Vijaya Sankalp meeting in Mahabubnagar, heating up the political turf in Telangana.After the withdrawal of nominations, 12,944 candidates remain in the electoral fray from 2,996 wards in 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations going to polls on February 11.As officials continued poll arrangements, political parties and candidates stepped up efforts to manage rebels, balance caste and community equations, and win the support of urban voters.The main contest is between the Congress and BRS, followed by the BJP, across the 123 urban local bodies where the three parties have fielded candidates. Other parties, including AIMIM, CPI, CPM, BSP, AAP, AIFB, and Telangana Jagruti, have also fielded candidates in several municipalities and municipal corporations. There are also 2,786 independents in the fray.There are reports that the Congress and BRS have fielded nearly 56% BC community candidates, while the BJP has reportedly fielded nearly 50%, although there has been no formal confirmation from the parties.Candidates fielded by various parties include postgraduates, undergraduates, businesspersons, private employees, retired govt employees, housewives, and illiterates.The Telugu Desam Party leadership did not issue B-forms to its candidates. As a result, it has reportedly reached an agreement with the CPI to contest the polls as CPI-supported candidates in some wards in Khammam district.Sources said the BJP has begun administering oaths to its contesting candidates during election campaigns, requiring them not to leave the party after winning. This was observed in some wards of the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation and is reportedly aimed at preventing poaching by the party that wins a majority of corporators and can secure the mayor and deputy mayor positions.
