Hyderabad: No party can make it in civic polls without alliance

Hyderabad: The upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections will witness a triangular contest, though no party seems to have the capacity to hold sway over the Corporation without an alliance partner.

Barring some last minute change in the political scenario, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) will have a seat-sharing understanding with the MIM, the Telugu Desam-BJP alliance will continue, while the Congress will go alone in the proposed 200-member Corporation, besides about 45 ex-officio members.

The MIM, which had forged a partnership with the TRS in the 2014 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, will continue the same in the GHMC polls too, it is reliably learnt.

“The TRS will continue to have a tie up with the MIM in GHMC elections too. The TD-BJP alliance is already forged, while the Congress has no option but to go alone,” a senior TRS leader said.

When contacted, an MIM legislator said as things stand, the MIM and TRS friendship will continue in the GHMC elections.

It is, however, learnt that the MIM is unhappy with the government’s decision to increase the number of municipal divisions to 200 after delimitation from 150 and had preferred 172.

But with the TRS government taking the decision, it had no option but to accept it. “The number of divisions in the old MCH area will increase from 100 to 112 and in surrounding areas from 50 to 88 divisions based on 2011 population,” an MIM leader said.

Telugu Desam MLA E. Dayakar Rao, meanwhile, exuded confidence that TD-BJP would win hands down.

Leaders of TRS, BJP, Congress and the MIM admit that alliances are the only way forward as no party has the capacity to wrest control of the GHMC on its own.

While TRS has to start from scratch, the MIM can increase its tally from the present 43 corporators to 50. The Telugu Desam (45) – BJP (5) combine too is confident of winning.  

“The TRS has to replace Congress or else the TD-BJP alliance will gain. The 45 ex-officio members like MPs, MLAs and MLCs will also play a crucial role,” an MIM leader said.