HYDERABAD: As the race for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is catching momentum with the elections being less than two weeks away, the IT cells and social media warriors of both the BJP and TRS have started generating and sharing content aimed at tarnishing the image of their rival parties. Social media platforms are already flooded with such content in the form of pictures, memes, videos, messages and even fake news.
However, Congress currently has only a negligible presence in the social media battle with just a handful of content in support of it and taking a swipe at others.Meanwhile, one fake document which was under circulation on Wednesday, soon after the distribution of `10,000 flood relief was stopped by the SEC, was a copy of a letter to the SEC, purportedly written by BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar, saying that the BJP is in opposition to the distribution of the relief money. The BJP leadership later had to release a message saying that the letter was fake and accused the TRS workers of spreading the fake news. Some BJP supporters also started using a hashtag #ChangeHyderabad with messages on various civic issues being faced by citizens.
On the other hand, the TRS supporters have started sharing images, videos and media clippings of various infrastructural developments witnessed by Hyderabad over the past couple of years, including the Hyderabad Metro Rail, new roads, flyovers and underpasses, T-Hub etc, along with the hashtag #HyderabadWithTRS and #VoteForCar. With these hashtags, many social media users were seen sharing messages accusing the BJP of creating religious divide.
The TRS supporters seemed to be more active on social media with NRIs also taking part in sharing messages on e-platforms in support of the party.Meanwhile, some social media users, who are supporting TRS, also resorted to sharing the fake letter accusing the BJP and Bandi Sanjay of writing to the SEC in opposition to the distribution of flood relief in Hyderabad.
20 nominations received on first day
On the first day of filing nominations for the GHMC polls, a total of 20 nominations were filed by as many as 17 candidates, of whom two belonged to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), three to the Congress party, six from TRS and five from TDP. These nominations were received from 11 wards. The filing of nominations began at 11 am on Wednesday with Returning Officers (ROs) accepting the papers till 3 pm. As part of this, the ROs have displayed ward-wise electoral rolls at their respective offices. Last date for filing nominations is November 20 and the scrutiny of nominations will take place on November 21