Telangana municipal polls: Defeated candidates allegedly demand return of cash, gifts from voters

A week after the Telangana municipal election results were declared, defeated candidates are reportedly demanding the return of cash and gifts distributed during the campaign, according to a report by The Times of India.

As per the report, clashes have surfaced in districts including Medchal Malkajgiri, Khammam, Suryapet, Peddapalli, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jagtial, and Nizamabad.

Candidates across party lines, including independents, are allegedly approaching voters after losing, suspecting certain colonies did not support them as expected. Some candidates had reportedly distributed cash ranging between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 per vote on the eve of the February 11 polling. Pressure cookers and sarees were also allegedly given to women voters.


However, residents have said they neither asked for the money nor the gifts and believe it is unreasonable to demand their return.

Meanwhile, viral videos have surfaced showing one such candidate collecting sarees, while another individual, believed to be a candidate, is seen pressuring a voter to confirm whether she had voted for him, the report said.

“In Medchal Malkajgiri district, a candidate allegedly visited households soon after counting day, seeking repayment. In Yellampet municipality near Hyderabad, the husband of a defeated independent candidate allegedly asked residents either to return the money or ‘swear’ that they had voted for his wife,” the report added.

However, State Election Commission officials told the newspaper that no formal complaints have been registered so far, and they have not officially verified the viral videos.

The municipal polls were held on February 11, in which the Congress won 66 municipalities, while the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) secured 13.