With standard protocols in place in the wake of COVID pandemic, the Election Commission of India is gearing for the elections in different parts of the country. While here in Telangana, the State has lined up several polls — the MLC by-election for Nizamabad Local Authorities constituency, Assembly by-election in Dubbak constituency followed by elections to the Council from two Graduates constituencies. Another prestigious battle will be fought in the State capital with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections expected in December.
The by-poll to Nizamabad Local Authorities constituency, held on Friday (October 9), became inevitable following the disqualification of sitting MLC R Bhoopathi Reddy. TRS candidate Ms Kavitha is daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. She is former MP from Nizamabad. The Assembly by-election is scheduled in Dubbak constituency on November 3. The seat fell vacant on the demise of sitting TRS MLA S Ramalinga Reddy. His widow Ms Sujatha has been fielded by TRS in a three-cornered contest.
Hyderabad-Mahabubnagar-Ranga Reddy Graduates constituency and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates constituency will fall vacant following the end of term for N Ramachandra Rao (BJP) and Palla Rajeshwar Reddy (TRS) respectively on March 29 next year.
The schedule is yet to be announced for the GHMC polls but the TRS leadership has already prepared its cadre for the battle. At least four surveys conducted by TRS so far have predicted that the ruling party would win no less than 100 seats (divisions) in GHMC elections which are likely to be held in December 2020. For winning the hearts of the voters, TRS leaders are visiting all the residential colonies and localities in the GHMC area.
For the last six years, the ruling party is winning almost all the elections in the State. In 2016, the party won GHMC elections with thumping majority. This time around, the parties in the fray are TRS, BJP, Congress and AIMIM. Interestingly, TRS is eyeing for a woman mayor post. In a draw of lots held in the presence of political parties at Director of Municipal Administration office in January 2020, the GHMC mayor’s post was reserved for women under open category and was declared through reservation of wards of women. In the ensuing GHMC elections, the State party can prove itself if voted to victory again.
Starting TRS party’s action-oriented campaign, Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao laid the foundation stone for an elevated corridor from the Government Printing Press in Chanchalguda to Yadagiri Theatre at Santoshnagar, which is to be built at a cost of Rs 523.37 crore.
Earlier, he laid the foundation for a four-lane bi-directional elevated corridor from Indira Park to VST X Roads and a two-level three-lane bi-directional flyover from Ram Nagar to Bagh Lingampally. He also inaugurated four transport corridors: from Serilingampally zonal office to NH 65 via Manjeera Pipe Line Road covering 2.70 km; a link road from HT line to Miyapur covering 1 km in the Kukatpally zone; Road No.70, Jubilee Hills (Prashasan Nagar) to Narne Road No.78, Jubilee Hills covering 0.47 km in Khairthabad zone; and the Neknampur road to Osman Sagar road via Alkapur Township covering 0.46 km in Manikonda Municipality under HMDA limits. These roads were constructed by the Hyderabad Road Development Corporation (HRDC) at a cost of Rs 33.80 crore.
Chances of TRS to win again
As is evident, the MAUD Department has taken up several development projects in the GHMC limits. Except for a few, most TRS corporators are not facing anti- incumbency. Moreover, signaling that it will not tolerate any unruly behavior and setbacks to the party, KTR has made his displeasure known to at least 15 corporators for their poor performance at a meeting with the TRS MLAs under the GHMC jurisdiction. This means that these 15 corporators may not make the cut when the candidatures are finalised for the GHMC elections.
Several fresh candidates with good profiles will make it to the TRS list. In January 2020, the TRS had won over 100 municipalities out of 120 and all nine municipal corporations in the State. The opposition parties such as the BJP, Congress and AIMIM managed to win some wards but could not put up a fight against the ruling TRS.
What will happen if TRS wins again?
Being the ruling party, it will continue to command support at the grass roots. There will be one-party rule in GHMC and thus homogenous rule will prevail in most divisions and it eventually will avoid confusion among people. The sanction of funds will be easier as the State government will not hesitate to give funds for its own party corporators. By winning majority of corporator divisions, it will once again choose its mayor.
This will also ensure the victory of TRS in next Assembly and Lok Sabha elections if it has more number of corporators who can connect to the people and woo them throughout. In turn, the ruling party corporators will have more say in the projects for the state capital to be taken up by the government. They may also give suggestions and will be heeded to in respect of any developmental works and welfare schemes.
No Mahaghatbandhan
Mahaghatbandhan of Congress-TDP and other parties failed in 2018 Assembly polls. Hence, the GHMC elections are not likely to see any such opposition and all the parties have to go it alone and win seats. With the GHMC elections to be notified anytime soon, the opposition has started planning for the civic polls. The Congress party decided to launch ‘Congress to the doorsteps campaign.’ BJP has also launched its campaign. On the other hand, the AIMIM would contest the polls alone but support the TRS whenever required.
BJP MLC and party chief for GHMC N Ramachandra Rao said, “The GHMC polls are due in February 2021 but the TRS Government wants to prepone the election to November. The TRS government is dependent on false propaganda. They claim to have spent around Rs 67,000 crores for Hyderabad’s development. But the reality is that they have just constructed some bridges. But this is not what development looks like. The real development lies in the proper supply of water, maintenance of proper roads and proper drainage system in the city. I question how much amount of money is spent on this type of development.”
The BJP leader observed that the entire drainage system and the condition of roads are horrible. No steps have been made to resolve such issues. He claimed that the corporation divisions under the BJP corporators are performing well in comparison to those under TRS and AIMIM corporators.
Well, the GHMC election schedule is likely to come very soon with the TRS government promising mega sops. The GHMC verdict assumes importance as it would be first during the COVID pandemic times. If TRS comes to power again in GHMC, then it will mean that the people are satisfied with the TRS handling of the current crisis.
Fatima Hasan is a Hyderabad based journalist