Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Election: What is KCR waiting for?
There appears to be no word on the elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation despite it being over 45 days since its term got over.
An unwritten rule in such a scenario is that the state electoral officer normally waits for a green signal from the ruling government before the elections are announced.
KCR does not seem to be ready:
It is getting amply clear that this delay in announcing such an important election is because K Chandrasekara Rao and his Telangana Rastriya Samithi is not ready. Speaking to several leaders in the TRS one gets the impression that the party is not ready as yet to face the elections.
Hyderabad has not been a stronghold of the TRS. In the parliamentary election it did not win in any of the three seats. Moreover even in the assembly segment the BJP, TDP, Congress and MIM put up a better showing in Hyderabad.
What is KCR waiting for?
When KCR ensured that TDP MLA Srinavas Yadav resigned, he rewarded him by making him a minister in the Telangana government. He would try and ensure more such incidents so that he is able to rope in big leaders from the BJP, TDP and Congress.
However, this ploy may not be entirely successful as the Congress and the BJP-TDP combine are confident of putting up a good show in Hyderabad. The defections will not happen, a BJP leader says.
Why
this
election
is
crucial?
Hyderabad
has
been
the
financial
capital
of
an
undivided
Andhra
Pradesh.
It
was
evident
that
even
at
the
time
of
division
the
entire
issue
was
getting
delayed
because
of
Hyderabad.
There are many development works to be carried out in Hyderabad and any party would want to be part of it. Projects such a road widening and metro are big and is under the control of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
The BJP-TDP in particular are the most confident to win these elections. For the BJP it would be a victory of sorts since it would ensure that it has built a strong foot hold in a Southern state other than Karnataka.
Will KCR join NDA?
He has made some noises in the past indicating that he would want to join the NDA. A top BJP leader from Telangana says that this is a possibility and could happen soon.
However this may take place after the elections to the GHMC. No party in Telangana is interested in a pre poll alliance. Each one barring the TRS is confident of a good showing in the poll whenever it happens.