This story is from December 5, 2020

Amid saffron surge in Hyderabad, pink party pales in victory

The BJP’s high-octane, star-studded campaign helped it to put on a stunning performance in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections on Friday. Although it finished second in the race, its tally jumped from just four wards in 2016 to a jaw-dropping 48 this time. The number is just seven short of the TRS’s tally of 55 in house on 150. The result of one ward has been held back because of a pending case in the high court.
Amid saffron surge in Hyderabad, pink party pales in victory
BJP state chief Bandi Sanjay with party workers in city
HYDERABAD: The BJP’s high-octane, star-studded campaign helped it to put on a stunning performance in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections on Friday. Although it finished second in the race, its tally jumped from just four wards in 2016 to a jaw-dropping 48 this time. The number is just seven short of the TRS’s tally of 55 in house on 150.
The result of one ward has been held back because of a pending case in the high court.
With this win, BJP has effectively dethroned the Congress as the main opposition in Telangana. It will now work towards making its presence felt in the state assembly in 2023. Interestingly, the grand show has come just a week before the TRS government is set to complete two years in office in its second term.
bjp bandi sanjay gfx

BJP has not only made inroads into TRS areas by winning 48 wards of the 149 results declared, it has also substantially increased its vote by eating into the vote share of both the TRS and Congress. TRS had won 99 wards in 2016. The GHMC region is crucial for all political parties as it has 25 assembly segments and four Lok Sabha seats.
Though TRS emerged as the single largest party, its numbers would not be enough to elect a mayor and deputy mayor on its own strength. It needed at least 67 divisions to have its own mayor without the support of any other party, as it already has 31 ex-officio votes made up of its MPs, MLAs and MLCs.
Given the hung house, Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM has emerged as the kingmaker with 44 wards and 10 ex-officio members. The party continued to hold sway in the Old City as it held on to its tally from 2016.

Bandi: Downfall of TRS has started
Karimnagar MP and state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay, the hero of the saffron party’s show, thanked voters with folded hands and claimed the downfall of the TRS had started. “Development is our mantra and people are rearing to dislodge TRS,” he said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a tweet in Telugu congratulated Sanjay and J P Nadda for party’s good show.
The worst sufferer in the polls was the Congress which failed to improve its performance since the last polls. It had won two seats in 2016 and managed to win two this time, although in different wards.
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