HYDERABAD: Even before the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) went to polls in the State, the TRS has a good beginning. Of the 3,052 wards which would go to polls on January 22, a total of 80 candidates were elected unanimously as no other political party fielded their candidates. Of them, 77 belonged to the TRS and the remaining to All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party.
A total of 12,898 candidates are in the fray for as many as 2,972 wards (3,052 wards) in 129 ULBs covering 120 municipalities and nine municipal corporations in Telangana.
The TRS bagged a maximum 11 wards in Parkal municipality of the total 22 wards followed by Chennur - seven wards out of 19 wards, Sattutpalli - six wards (23), Sircilla - four wards (39), three each in Korutla and Bollarum, two each in Thorrur, Huzurabad, Peddapalli, Nirmal, Ibrahimpatnam, Vikarabad, Pocharam, Dundigal and Husnabad, while MIM bagged three wards in Bhainsa out of 26 wards.
Of the total 3,052 wards, the Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) would conduct polls to as many as 2,972 wards on January 22, while polls to Karimnagar Municipal Corporation (60 wards) would be held on January 24.
Of the 12,898 contesting candidates, the TRS has fielded 2,972 candidates followed by BJP - 2,313, Congress - 2,616, TDP - 347, MIM - 276, CPI - 177, CPM - 166, other recognised political parties - 282, while a whopping 3,749 persons are contesting as independent candidates.
The highest number of candidates are contesting from Nizamabad municipal corporation with 415 followed by Adilabad - 286 and Kamareddy - 238. The least number of them who are contesting the polls are from Waddepalli - 29, Chennur - 33, Atmakur - 36 and Parkal and Bhootpur - 37 each, the TSEC told Express. During the scrutiny of nominations, 25,768 nominations were filed by the candidates. About 25,336 nominations were found to be valid and the remaining 432 were rejected by the District Election Authorities (DEAs). Nearly 50 per cent of the candidates have withdrawn their candidature.