Politicos wrap up high-voltage GHMC campaign
HYDERABAD: The curtain came down on the high-octane poll campaign for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) at 6 pm on Sunday, marking the end of a crucial phase in the election process and paving the way for voting on December 1 followed by counting on December 4.
It was a no-holds-barred battle for principal political parties — the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — which have taken this election as a matter of prestige and had carried out high-pitched campaigns. Though the Congress appeared laggard, it also threw its hat in the ring and campaigned to the best of its ability.
As many as 150 divisions spread across four districts — Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Medak — will go to polls, for which 1,122 candidates are in the fray.
The campaign deteriorated to a communal slugfest and, at times, hit rock bottom with leaders resorting to personal attacks against each other.
Though the election is to the GHMC, it had the all the trappings of a general election as the BJP top brass, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party president JP Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani, arrived in Hyderabad to improve the prospects of the saffron party. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao himself took a lunge and addressed a massive public meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday.
The BJP campaign was led by party State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy, while Telangana’s MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao emerged as the face of the TRS in the campaign for the civic polls.
Nearly on all days, he busied himself with talking about the future of Hyderabad at various fora during the day and holding roadshows in the evenings. Rama Rao also took potshots at the BJP and MIM and explained what the TRS would do if it returns t0 power in the GHMC.
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On the other hand, Amit Shah promised a Hyderabad bereft of the Nizam culture and Nadda exuded confidence that the BJP would come to power in Telangana in the next Assembly election.
Chief Minister K Chandr a s ekha r Ra o promised a safe and peaceful city, and heckled BJP leaders for arriving in droves, who, according to him, were worried over his plans to promote an anti- BJP and anti-Congress formation at the national level.
TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and MP A Revanth Reddy led the Congress brigades. The AIMIM campaign was led by party chief Asaduddin Owaisi and party leader in the Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi.
Political temperatures soared as the BJP and AIMIM locked themselves in a communal slugfest, with both sides daring each other to do what they threatened.
The BJP State president, in the height of campaigning, had declared that the party would order a surgical strike on Pakistanis, the Rohingya and Afghans, who have been living illegally in the Old City of Hyderabad. This evoked reactions in equal measures from the AIMIM and the TRS.