HYDERABAD: The division of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) into three corporations has triggered fresh political manoeuvring, with the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quietly preparing for ‘Operation Akarsh’ to attract leaders from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). On the other hand, with the BRS facing electoral setbacks and defections in 2024, many of its local leaders are reassessing their political future.
Political circles in Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri are abuzz with speculation that several BRS leaders are exploring the possibility of switching sides to remain politically relevant in their respective divisions.
Sources in the Congress, BRS and BJP said a number of BRS leaders have already begun informal lobbying with both parties, seeking assurances for tickets either in their current divisions or in new ones, depending on changes in reservations and boundaries. Many aspirants are also consulting their core supporters to assess whether joining the Congress or the BJP would offer better prospects in the next corporation elections.
The political landscape has shifted further after the state government proposed splitting GHMC into three corporations — Hyderabad with 150 divisions, Malkajgiri with 74 and Cyberabad with 76.
The reorganisation has altered several division boundaries, with rural areas added to Malkajgiri and Cyberabad and some areas included in or excluded from the Hyderabad corporation. These changes have prompted many local leaders to reassess their electoral prospects in their present divisions.
Against this backdrop, aspirants are closely analysing recent municipal election results across the state, where the Congress secured control of several municipalities and corporations. Sources said many BRS leaders are likely to make a final decision by the end of March or early April.
Unease in pink party
The developments have also created unease within the BRS leadership, which is concerned about potential defections and the challenge of identifying new candidates if more leaders leave the party.
In the 2016 GHMC elections, the BRS won 99 of the 150 divisions, but its tally dropped to 56 in 2020. In contrast, the BJP increased its strength from four divisions in 2016 to 48 in 2020, marking a significant rise in its urban base. The Congress secured two divisions in 2016 and three in 2020.
After losing power in the state, the BRS witnessed several defections, with a number of corporators — including the mayor and deputy mayor — joining the Congress in 2024. The pink party also faced setbacks in the Secunderabad Cantonment and Jubilee Hills Assembly byelections.
Meanwhile, the BJP has been expanding its urban footprint by increasing its vote share and number of elected representatives in recent elections. The party also won the Secunderabad, Malkajgiri and Chevella Lok Sabha seats, while the AIMIM retained the Hyderabad parliamentary constituency — all of which fall within the limits of the three proposed corporations.
Many former BRS corporators are now closely watching political developments and are likely to choose between the Congress and the BJP in an attempt to regain electoral ground and sustain their political careers.
Both parties, however, face the challenge of identifying strong candidates across nearly 300 divisions. The Congress, despite being in power, is considered organisationally weak in GHMC limits, while the BJP, though stronger in urban areas with more than 40 corporators, will still need to field a large number of candidates across the three corporations.
With corporation elections approaching, both parties are expected to intensify efforts to attract leaders from the BRS fold to strengthen their prospects and assert political dominance in Hyderabad ahead of the next Assembly polls.