Camp politics starts in Telangana

HYDERABAD: With counting of votes polled in municipal elections slated to commence on Saturday, “camp politics” have commenced in both the ruling TRS and the Opposition Congress.

All their candidates, who contested from various wards of municipalities, have been shifted to camps at the headquarters of the municipal councils and corporations. The TRS leadership has directed in-charges of municipalities, including ministers and MLAs, to keep their candidates safe from “poaching” until elections of municipal chairpersons and mayors of municipal corporations are not completed.

The candidates are being provided the best of facilities to prevent “horse trading”, whether in big hotels or farmhouses. Some have been shifted to neighbouring states.

Tight security is being maintained by parties at these camps, particular in those municipalities and corporations, where there is a close fight. Each councillor is expected to play a key role. The aspiring candidates for chairpersons and mayors are having to bear the expenditure incurred on these camps.

Meanwhile, the TRS leadership has given powers to its MLAs to issue whips for electing the official nominees as municipal chairpersons and corporation mayors. Before issuing B forms, both TRS and Congress had administered oath to candidates that they would abide by party’s decision on the choice of chairpersons and mayors. Congress has taken a pledge even in writing that they will not change their party after winning.

Several TRS rebels have contested as candidates of the Forward Bloc Party. TRS leadership is hoping that the rebels will support its official nominees as mayors and chairpersons.

Fears of defections are more in the Congress than the TRS, with the former experiencing a bitter lesson in the last assembly elections. While TRS is expecting to sweep the elections, Congress is hoping to win a good number of seats.