With TRS leading, Telangana Minister questions BJP leadership's involvement in GHMC polls

Telangana Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav on Friday exuded confidence in TRS winning the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation election. Even as the counting of votes is underway currently, trends are showing a comfortable lead for the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led party. Yadav argued that the national BJP leadership should not have spent so much time in the GHMC poll campaign. 

According to him, it would have been better for BJP to concentrate on the farmers' protests in the national capital instead. Moreover, the Telangana Minister contended that the JP Nadda-led party did not elaborate on the Union government's contribution to the development of Hyderabad. In the first election held after the formation of Telangana in 2016, TRS secured a comfortable majority with 99 wins with AIMIM coming a distant second amid its candidates emerging victorious in 44 wards. 

Read: Amid GHMC Counting, BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind Says Telangana Will Gift PM 15 Seats In 2024

Read: 'BJP Making Deep Impact In South India': Khushboo Sundar Hails Party's GHMC Showing

BJP's high-profile campaign

The election to 150 divisions of the GHMC was conducted in the exercise of powers conferred by Articles 243-K and 243-ZA of the Constitution read with Sections 7(1), 9, 10 and 24 of the GHMC Act, 1955. The polls were conducted using paper ballots instead of EVMs. Furthermore, the polling time was extended by an hour, i.e from 7 am to 6 pm owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In a departure from its usual low profile in Hyderabad, BJP went all guns blazing in the GHMC poll campaign. This came in the wake of the party's victory in 4 Telangana Lok Sabha seats and the Dubbak Assembly constituency. Post the NDA's success in Bihar, BJP named its General Secretary Bhupender Yadav as its in-charge of the GHMC polls. Additionally, key BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party president J P Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, MoS (Home) G Kishan Reddy and BJYM national president Tejaswi Surya played a crucial role in the election campaign.

BJP highlighted the alleged misgovernance of the ruling TRS-AIMIM, citing their mismanagement of the situation arising out of the recent floods in Hyderabad for instance. Divisive issues such as action against illegal Rohingyas and the proposed renaming of Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar also cropped up during the campaign. Furthermore, Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleged that there is a secret pact between AIMIM and TRS. 

Read: GHMC Results: Sanjay Jha Asks If Congress Is Implementing PM's 'Cong Mukt Bharat' Dream?

Read: KCR's Daughter Kavitha Confident Of GHMC Victory, Says 'no One Paid Attention To BJP'