HYDERABAD: Will voters directly elect their mayor in the upcoming civic polls across Hyderabad’s Core Urban Region (CURE)?
While the state government has not announced a decision, the proposal is under active discussion and could shape elections due this year for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC), each with populations exceeding one million.
The debate has gained traction following a recent report by NITI Aayog titled Moving Towards Effective City Government: A Framework for Million-Plus Cities (2026). It recommends that mayors in large cities be directly elected by citizens and serve fixed five-year terms. The proposal includes a mayor-in-council system, shifting the role from largely ceremonial to executive, with greater authority over civic administration.
The recommendations aim to improve accountability, continuity and decision-making in urban governance. States have been urged to amend municipal laws in line with the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, which seeks to strengthen local self-governance.
In Telangana, however, mayors are currently elected indirectly by corporators and hold limited executive power. Administrative authority largely rests with municipal commissioners, often resulting in blurred responsibilities, weak political oversight and reduced accountability.
Urban policy experts argue that a directly elected mayor could provide clearer leadership, reduce political bargaining and enable faster decisions on core civic services such as sanitation, infrastructure, water supply and transport.
The idea is not entirely new to Hyderabad. Under the former Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad, voters directly elected their mayor in 2002. Teegala Krishna Reddy won that election, defeating Mir Zulfiqar Ali. The system was later replaced with indirect elections following the formation of GHMC, where alliances among parties, including All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, have often influenced outcomes.
Advocates point to global cities such as New York City, Tokyo and London, where elected mayors hold significant executive authority. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has also said Hyderabad should compete with such cities.
Any shift to direct elections would require amendments to municipal laws and administrative structures. With urban challenges growing, the decision could influence how Hyderabad is governed in the coming years.
