Urban local body elections in Telangana on Thursday

Officials urged to ensure COVID guidelines

The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Opposition parties will vie for honours when they go to polls in Warangal and Khammam municipal corporations, Siddipet, Nakrekal, Atchampet, Kothur and Jadcherla municipalities and five wards in various urban local bodies, including Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, to fill casual vacancies. The campaigning for the polls, which concluded on Tuesday evening, saw ministers E. Dayakar Rao, Ms. Satyavathi Rathod, Mr. Koppula Easwar and Mr. P. Ajay Kumar and ruling party MLAs touring extensively in Warangal and Khammam. The TRS was looking to retain its stronghold in both the corporations where it had won last time. Mr. Nannapaneni Narender and Mr. Papa Lal were elected mayors respectively at Warangal and Khammam but the former was replaced by Mr. Gunda Prakash later on his election as MLA. Finance Minister T. Harish Rao led the campaign at his home turf in Siddipet. The State Election Commission has ordered strict enforcement of COVID guidelines, factoring in observations also made by High Court on Thursday, for elections to Warangal and Khammam municipal corporations, Siddipet, Nakrekal, Atchampet, Kothur and Jadcherla municipalities and five wards in various urban local bodies. Members of four other wards were elected unanimously.