Municipal polls counting today amid camp politics surge

As the counting of votes gets underway across Telangana on Friday, political parties are busy with camp politics at various places in the state, relocating candidates to secure locations amid high-stakes speculation and security concerns ahead of results declaration.

The Telangana State Election Commission (SEC) has ensured seamless arrangements at designated centers starting 8 AM. Postal ballots will be counted first, followed by regular papers. For each ward, ballots are bundled in 25s, mixed in drums for randomization, and scrutinized in rounds of 1,000 per table using compartmentalized trays for candidates, NOTA, and doubtful votes. 

Valid votes are bundled in 100s, totals recorded and signed, with Returning Officers resolving disputes. Round-wise results feed into the Final Result Sheet for agent-verified declarations and certificate issuance.

Robust security includes appointed supervisors, BNSS Section 163 enforcement, restricted entry via passes, gadget bans, and webcasting at centers and strong rooms.

In Adilabad and Nirmal, BJP leaders including MLA Payal Shankar and Maheshwar Reddy are shuttling candidates via special buses to camps, including shifts reportedly to Nagpur for safety; Congress' leaders held strategy meetings, while BRS eyes similar moves under Jogu Ramanna. In Nizamabad, parallel plans are afoot. BRS has relocated Suryapet candidates to a Hyderabad farmhouse for protection. Kamareddy's 49 wards feature intense three-way battles—Congress and BRS contesting all, BJP nearly so—sparking bets on vote splits, seat tallies, and chairperson races.