HYDERABAD: As announced, the BRS abstained from voting in the biennial elections to the Telangana Legislative Council from the Hyderabad Local Authorities’ Constituency, making the victory of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate almost certain.
All 24 BRS corporators and ex-officio members (MPs, MLAs and MLCs) from Hyderabad district skipped the election. Last week, BRS working president KT Rama Rao instructed party members to abstain, warning of action against those who defy the party line.
The announcement resulted in a volley of allegations, with the BJP, BRS, AIMIM and the ruling Congress accusing each other of taking sides. The BJP was particularly strident in its accusation that the BRS was facilitating the AIMIM candidate’s victory.
On Wednesday, of the 112 eligible voters, 88 from the BJP, AIMIM and Congress — 66 corporators and 22 ex-officio members — cast their vote. The turnout stood at 78.57%.
Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy voted in black attire as a mark of protest against Tuesday’s terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Other BJP members wore black armbands.
The contest is between BJP’s N Goutham Rao and AIMIM’s Mirza Riyaz Ul Hassan Effendi. The Congress did not field a candidate.
Polling was conducted at two locations in the GHMC head office, with separate rooms for ex-officio members and corporators. The counting of votes will begin at 8 am on Friday (April 25) at Panwar Hall, GHMC headquarters. Each of the three counting teams will comprise a micro observer, a supervisor and two assistants.
BJP reacts to BRS move
BJP candidate Goutham said the election had revealed what he termed “a Congress-BRS-AIMIM arrangement,” citing the BRS boycott and Congress’s non-participation as evidence of political alignment.
Citing issue-based support, Cong backs MIM
The ruling Congress backed the AIMIM in the Hyderabad local body MLC election held on Wednesday. The Congress did not field a candidate, lacking the requisite numbers to contest. Of the 112 votes in the fray, the party holds only 14. Ahead of polling, Congress leaders convened a meeting with their electors — GHMC corporators — at the residence of Transport Minister and Hyderabad district in-charge Ponnam Prabhakar.
At the meeting, the minister reportedly instructed the corporators to vote in favour of AIMIM, citing the green party’s issue-based support to the ruling government. Following the meeting, the Congress corporators went directly to the polling station from the minister’s residence and cast their votes. It may be recalled that AIMIM had recently extended indirect support to Congress in the MLA quota MLC elections. While Congress had the strength to win three seats, it secured a fourth with AIMIM’s backing.