HYDERABAD: With a shift in the political landscape of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the Congress is set to make a comeback in the crucial standing committee after nearly a decade.
This development follows an understanding between Congress and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), with both parties agreeing to share seats. The elections are likely be held unanimously, as the BRS and BJP have opted out of the polls. Polling for the standing committee elections will take place on February 25.
Monday marked the last day for filing nominations for the elections. A total of 15 corporators submitted their nominations on the final day — eight from AIMIM and seven from Congress. In total, 17 candidates filed their nominations between February 10 and 17.
Of the 15 seats, Congress is expected to secure seven, while AIMIM will take the remaining eight. The BJP, despite having 41 corporators, has decided to stay away from the elections citing insufficient numbers.
Similarly, BRS, with 40 corporators, has opted out. Two BRS corporators, J Satyanarayana Rao and Prasanna Lakshmi Lingani, had filed nominations on February 11, but are likely to withdraw following instructions from party leadership, citing a lack of numerical strength.
Currently, the GHMC has 146 corporators out of a total of 150. Four seats are vacant: two due to the deaths of corporators and two others because corporators resigned after being elected as MLAs. The party breakdown is as follows: Congress has 24 members (including those who defected from the BRS), BJP has 41, BRS has 40 and AIMIM has 41.
Standing committee elections in the GHMC haven’t been held for the past 10 years; they have always been uncontested.
In the last edition, the BRS and AIMIM, holding a majority at the time, reached an understanding and shared the 15 seats, with BRS taking eight and AIMIM seven.
Candidates in the fray
Congress: Mahalakshmi Raman Goud, Burugadda Pushpa, CN Reddy, V Jagadeeshwar Goud, Banoth Sujatha, Bonthu Sridevi and Baba Fasiuddin.
AIMIM: Batha Jabeen, Syed Minhajuddin, Abdul Wahab, Mohd Saleem, Parveen Sulthana, Sameena Begum, Ayesha Humera and Ghouse Uddin Mohd.
BRS: J Satyanarayana Rao and Prasanna Lakshmi Lingani (both are expected to withdraw later)