Telangana’s delay in holding local body elections has left five municipal corporations, seven municipalities and hundreds of rural local bodies under Special Officer administration, putting nearly Rs 1,400 crore in Central and Finance Commission grants at risk, according to a report by Telangana Today.
The affected urban institutions include the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Cyberabad, Malkajgiri, Greater Warangal and Khammam municipal corporations. The seven municipalities identified for elections are Siddipet, Achampet, Nakrekal, Kothur, Manuguru, Mandamarri and Jadcherla.
The report said the rural local body election delay has already cost Telangana around Rs 600 crore in 15th Finance Commission grants over two years. A further annual allocation of nearly Rs 300 crore is also reportedly at risk. In urban areas, around Rs 500 crore in Central grants is said to be held up.
The grants are linked to the functioning of elected local bodies and compliance with prescribed conditions. With councils not in place, the institutions are being administered by officials and Special Officers. The arrangement has also left local governance without elected representatives in the affected bodies.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation council’s term ended on February 10, 2026, while the terms of the Warangal and Khammam councils ended in May. The reorganisation of the GHMC into three corporations—Greater Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri—has added to the electoral and administrative preparations required before polling.
The state government has cited the reorganisation, ward delimitation and revision of electoral rolls among the factors delaying the remaining urban polls. Elections to 116 municipalities and seven corporations were held in February 2026, but the local bodies covered in the latest report were left out because of term-related, legal and administrative issues.
In rural Telangana, most Zilla Parishad and Mandal Parishad terms expired on July 3, 2024. The State Election Commission has undertaken voter mapping, but an election schedule has not been announced. The report said the state government is considering holding Zilla Parishad and Mandal Parishad elections soon after the urban polls, possibly in a single phase.
Congress leaders have reportedly asked party workers to prepare for municipal polls in December. However, no schedule has been formally announced by the government or the State Election Commission. Until elections are held, the affected municipal and rural institutions will continue to function under official administration, while the release of the reported grants remains linked to the restoration of elected local bodies and fulfilment of the applicable conditions.
