Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls a litmus test for all parties

The pink party’s biggest strength is the developmental work taken up in the city. The party claims works running into RS 67,140 crore were taken up in six years. TRS has about 6 lakh members and 100 sitting corporators. It has about 40 ex-officio members in GHMC who will help retain the mayor’s post. A large number of Muslim voters are likely to support the ruling party. Though TRS officially denies having any pact with AIMIM, the party is supporting TRS in the seats where it has not fielded candidates.

Both unemployed youth and students are unhappy with the ruling party due to lack of opportunities. The party is facing criticism for the way it handled the recent flood situation in the city. Opposition parties are using LRS and Dharani website issues as weapons in their campaign.



Lack of cadre strength in Congress and BJP may help TRS in this election. The party recently waived off 50 per cent property tax for residential properties which is likely to benefit the party. Apart from this, many middle and lower middle class families benefited from welfare schemes and will support the TRS.

Despite losing a majority of seats in the Assembly elections, the Congress cadre strength is intact in several divisions. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party won Malkajgiri seat apart from winning Assembly seats from Mahesharam and L B Nagar in 2018 elections. It also has the support of several Christian voters in some assembly segments. It has some spirited leaders such as party working president Revanth Reddy.

Many senior leaders like former union minister Sarve Satyanaranayana, former MLA Bikshapathi Yadav and former mayor Karthika Reddy have left the party and joined the BJP. Losing a series of elections has been a major blow to the party cadre.

Though the party has many weaknesses, its leaders hope to regain strength and secure more seats. According to party leaders, about 20 lakh workers still support the party.

After securing four Lok Sabha seats and Dubbak by-election win, the BJP has seen an influx of workers from Congress and other parties. Now in the civic elections, BJP emerged the main opposition party. BJP hopes to gain ground in the civic body elections and topple the TRS and AIMIM.



The BJP is seen as a party for Hindus. Of the 150 seats, about 50 seats are in the Old City and Muslim-majority divisions which are likely to go in favour of AIMIM. Some senior leaders are unhappy including MLA T Raja Singh over ticket allocation in his constituency.



Going by the Dubbak by-election results, analysts believe people who did not want to vote for TRS are looking at BJP as an alternative to the ruling party. Most anti-incumbancy votes are likely to go to BJP.

AIMIM has good hold in about 50 of the 150 divisions in GHMC. It has got seven MLAs from the assembly constituencies in Old City. The party winning assembly seats in Bihar and other states will augur well for it at home.

The party has received flak for its poor handling of the flood situation in Old City. Many colonies were inundated for several days. AIMIM has been blamed by several parties for the backwardness of Old City.

Other major parties such as TRS, Congress and BJP have little scope to make inroads in Old City and with no other alternative, people are likely to vote for AIMIM in all Old City divisions. The party has good relations with the ruling TRS.