Hyderabad, Feb. 14 -- Independent candidates have secured a significant presence in Telangana's municipal elections, winning 181 seats across municipalities and emerging as decisive players in several urban local bodies where no party obtained a simple majority.

Out of 123 municipalities, close to 30 returned fractured mandates. In many of these, the number of independents is sufficient to influence or determine the election of chairpersons.

In Jagtial

In Jagtial, 15 independents were elected - one of the highest such tallies in the state. The party position there stands at Congress 23, BJP 6, BRS 4 and AIMIM 2. Political observers note that several of the independents are supporters of former minister T Jeevan Reddy, who reportedly fi...