BJP shifts focus to Telangana, Karnataka civic polls

After an emphatic victory in Maharashtra local body polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party has shifted focus to municipal elections in Telangana and Karnataka, underscoring the importance it attaches to grassroots contests.

In Telangana, polling for seven municipal corporations and 116 municipalities will be held on February 11. On February 4, BJP national president Nitin Nabin visited Mahbubnagar on his first trip to the state after taking charge, addressing a 'Vijay Sankalp Sammelan' and meetings with booth- and mandal-level workers. He set a target of 50 per cent vote share at each booth and said the BJP was poised for a decisive verdict, accusing the INC government of failing to deliver development and transparent governance.

In Karnataka, elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are scheduled for May 2026. The party has appointed Ram Madhav as in-charge, with Satish Poonia and Sanjay Upadhyay as co-incharges. Madhav said local body polls are fought on local issues and worker strength, noting that the BBMP - with nearly 90 lakh voters and a budget of around ₹25,000 crore - is comparable to an Assembly election.