Hyderabad: Independents may hold key for top posts

Hyderabad: Independents and candidates of small parties are likely to swing the fortunes of major political parties, as they might hold the key to power in case these parties do not get a majority in the wards of municipalities and corporations.

Even before counting of votes polled in 120 municipalities and nine municipal corporations commences, major political parties have started focusing on independents whose chances of winning are high. The parties are trying to make deals with them for supporting their party candidates in the indirect elections to the posts of chairpersons and mayors.

Candidates numbering 12,898 contested from different wards of the municipalities and corporations, with as many as 3,749 of them being independents.

Those aspiring for tickets of the ruling TRS contested as independents when they failed in getting the official nomination. In Ramagundam Municipal Corporation alone, 54 independents, including rebel candidates, contested; their number in Jangaon municipality being 44.

Sources in TRS disclosed that the party has promised some independents even posts of vice chairperson or deputy mayor in lieu of their support when corporation mayors and municipal chairpersons are to be elected on January 27.