Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad   

GHMC standing panel poll postponement creates a flutter

HYDERABAD: The sudden decision of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to postpone election to the Standing Committee to next month has set the cat among pigeons among the political parties, especially the Congress.

The election already postponed once to April 21 from April 12 has been now put off to May 18.

The reason dished out is that the forthcoming MLC poll schedule was clashing with the election!

“We are going to receive nominations for MLC polls till April 20, scrutiny on 21 and withdrawal is on 23 for the MLC poll to be held on May 7. Since we will be busy with this election, the Commissioner decided to put off the standing committee poll to next month,” said Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Secretary M.S.S. Somaraju on Friday.

He also released the names of 37 members in the fray for the 15-member committee which will be presided over by the Mayor once formed. Nine corporators have withdrawn their respective nominations today.

Interestingly, among those in fray are 25 Congress corporators when only eight are eligible to contest as per the deal worked out with the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) which is to contest seven.

With both parties enjoying a majority in the council -- Congress: 52, TD:45, MIM:43, BJP:5, PR & MBT: 1 and others: 3 -- it's a foregone conclusion that their candidates will pull through leaving no scope for the Opposition since the poll will be through a secret ballot with all the 150 corporators participating.

‘Rebel' trouble?

However, it is learnt that the Congress is yet to make a decision on choosing the eight among the 25 corporators in fray as none was willing to step down.

The worry also is that ‘rebel' corporators denied a chance to be in the standing committee may not vote for the official MLC candidate likely to be none other than Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee chief D. Srinivas.

And this was stated as much by Telugu Desam arty floor leader S. Srinivas Reddy to reporters.

“The Congress has deliberately conspired to put off the standing committee polls as it was apprehensive about the victory of Mr. Srinivas. How can they link up MLC poll with GHMC standing panel when so many works have been held up due to its non-formation,” the Telugu Desam floor leader wondered.

Mr. Somaraju clarified that since the election notification had come on March 10, there was time till June to take up standing committee members' election.

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