HYDERABAD: None, except politicans, bothered about the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections on Monday.
The dismal turnout of 46 per cent of a total number of 56,99,015 voters –– much lesser than the 56 per cent recorded in the Assembly polls –– only amplified the growing disinterest of the people in the polling process. The poor turnout is attributed to the marriage season and an extended weekend. In all, 1,310 candidates were locked in a tough battle for the 150 wards at stake. Besides contestants from the main parties, the Congress, TDP, Lok Satta, BJP, MIM, the CPI and the CPM, there were several independents in the fray.
The elections once again brought to the fore money and muscle power of political parties. According to one estimate, in several divisions, the candidates of the principal parties ‘‘invested’’ more than Rs one crore for a position which gets a remuneration of Rs 3,000 per month! When polling began this morning at 7, there were hardly any voters at the polling stations. A little later, polling began on a dull note with only the elderly and those belonging to the lower strata of society preferring to exercise their franchise. Leaders of all the parties went around the polling stations to ensure that their votes were in tact and got into heated arguments with one another. In Hassan Nagar in the Old City, MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi took an independent candidate in a car by force after an argument with him! Contonement MLA (Cong) K Shankara Rao had an argument with police officials in West Marredpally when they insisted that he show his identity card and valid papers to enter the polling booth.