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Hyderabad: Community needs of urban local bodies will always remain a priority, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Monday, February 9, stressing the growing importance of urban governance amid rising urbanisation in Telangana.

“Telangana’s urban population stands at approximately 1.36 crore out of a total 3.50 crore, which means the rural population accounts for 61.12 per cent,” Reddy said while addressing a rally in Nalgonda ahead of municipal elections scheduled for Tuesday.

He wrapped up a week-long campaign with tours of wards in Nizamabad and Suryapet districts.

Reddy urged Congress candidates and party workers to focus on issues affecting daily lives. The party, he said, would prioritise basic amenities, including water supply, with funds allocated primarily for infrastructure development.

The minister asked party workers to remain engaged with the public even after elections and assured them that genuine grievances would be addressed promptly.

Reddy highlighted the state government’s achievements, including the issuance of new ration cards to ensure food security for more beneficiaries with high-quality rice and expanded coverage.

To foster unity among party workers, the minister directly engaged with disgruntled cadre during the campaign, assuring them of better opportunities ahead and calling for collective efforts to win the elections.

He lauded their efforts in reaching communities through intensified door-to-door outreach.

Reddy, who is in charge of the Nizamabad parliamentary constituency, predicted a “clean sweep” for Congress in several areas, citing internal surveys showing strong public endorsement of the government’s two-year welfare and development record.

His high-energy tours — including helicopter visits and bike rallies — drew enthusiastic crowds, energising workers ahead of multi-cornered contests with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Polling is scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, across 123 urban local bodies, including seven municipal corporations and 116 municipalities covering 2,996 wards and over 52 lakh voters. Results will be declared on February 13.

Reddy’s emphasis on core issues like infrastructure, water and grievance redressal, tied to the substantial urban population share, formed the backbone of Congress’s message to voters in Suryapet and Nizamabad districts.