Deccan Chronicle

Parties gear up for polls

TRS looks to open its account in GHMC polls as CM rolls out big plans

- C.R. GOWRI SHANKER | DC HYDERABAD, APRIL 30

The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), MIM, BJP, Telugu Desam (TD), Congress and other parties are gearing up for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporatio­n (GHMC) elections following the High Court’s directive to the Telangana state government to hold elections by December 15.

With an eye on the polls, Chief Minister K. Chandrasek­har Rao has announced massive developmen­tal programmes in the city and surroundin­g areas, which fall under the Corporatio­n.

Sources said that the CM has asked the GHMC to focus on recarpetin­g of roads, improving streetligh­ts, drinking water and other pending developmen­tal works in Patancheru and Ramachandr­apuram of Medak district that fall under the GHMC limits and also in all old municipali­ties surroundin­g Hyderabad including Malkajgiri, Uppal, Kapra, Rajendrana­gar, Kukatpally etc. where people are unhappy with basic amenities, especially roads and drinking water.

Mr Rao, who wants to project the successful power-cut free summer, wants officials to complete the pending works before the announceme­nt of the GHMC polls.

Besides Swachh Hyderabad and Telangana, high-rise buildings, sky ways, surveillan­ce cameras all over the city to ensure law and order, 150 vegetable and meat markets and recarpetin­g of roads, the CM wants to promote the new Telangana Kalabharat­hi at NTR Stadium, which will house multiple theatres.

Home minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy said they would focus on various developmen­tal works after the political training classes, being held at Nagarjunas­agar from May 1 to 4, get over.

The CM a held series of

We will win majority of seats in GHMC. Government is scared to hold elections — K. LAXMAN,

BJP leader

meetings with city ministers — Deputy CM Mahmood Ali, home minister Narasimha Reddy, excise minister T. Padma Rao, commercial taxes minister T. Srinivas Yadav and others — and asked them to gear up for elections.

The TRS, which had zero strength in the last GHMC body, is now in an upbeat mood with the defection of several TD MLAs and the recent success of the party plenary and Vijay Garjana meetings.

Not to be outdone, TD is contemplat­ing holding the party Mahanadu in Hyderabad with an eye on the GHMC elections. The TD, which had 45 corporator­s in the outgoing corporatio­n, is confident of winning a large number of seats thanks to the huge Seemandhra population, according to party leaders.

The BJP too is confident of winning a good number of seats in GHMC after the victory of its candidate, N. Ramachandr­a Rao, in the Graduates MLC polls.

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