Will city get a new Mayor in 2014?

Majid Hussain has to relinquish his post in Jan., according to Congress-MIM pact

Mohammad Majid Hussain

Who will be the first citizen of the city during the year 2014? Interesting times are ahead for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) with questions persisting on whether the Congress will seek the Mayor’s chambers for the civic body’s final year according to the power sharing accord reached by it with the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM).

According to the agreement reached between the two parties in the year 2009, the present Mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain (MIM) has to relinquish the post in the first week of January 2014. But in the absence of any visible moves on the part of the Congress to stake claim according to the pact, the possibilities of Mr. Hussain continuing are very much there. For the 150-member council, the 2009 elections threw up a hung verdict with the Congress garnering the highest representation of 52 seats followed by Telugu Desam Party with 45 members and the MIM 43 members. Following this, Congress and MIM agreed to share the Mayor post for a two-year term each and the final year term going to the former. On behalf of the Congress B. Karthika Reddy held the post for the first two years.

No communication

The MIM representatives claimed that the Congress has so far not communicated its keenness on taking over the Mayor post. “By now, our party heads would have received some communication or other from them but as there is none, it is to be assumed they are besieged with the goings on in State politics related to bifurcation and are not very eager about the Mayor post,” said a MIM corporator.

Mr. Majid Hussain completes two years in office on January 4, 2014 and if the Congress wanted the post, the party should have raked up the issue by now. Going by laid down procedures, even if the post is sought and the present Mayor resigns, the same has to be followed by convening of the council to approve it and a special session could take time.

Long process

The council then sends the approval to the government for its nod and from there it is forwarded to the State Election Commission. “All these processes will take a couple of months if not less by which time there is a possibility of the code of conduct for general elections coming into effect. And since the council term is till November 2014 only, a new Mayor will hardly be able to settle down and operate effectively,” pointed out another corporator.