From a near sweep by winning 10 out of 11 wards by securing 42% to 63% of the polled votes in the 2016 GHMC elections held in the backdrop of State formation, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is being given a run for its money this time by the Opposition parties in Moosapet and Kukatpally circles.
The two circles with 5,78,376 electorate have a sizeable number of voters with Andhra Pradesh origin, who were believed to have been tilted the balance in TRS favour heavily last time. Although a total of 87 candidates are in the fray this time, the main contest is between TRS, BJP, Congress and TDP in the 11 wards with AIMIM having some strong presence in two wards – Allapur and Old Bowenpally, where it was the nearest rival to the winner.
The lone ward (KPHB Colony) that did not come into the TRS kitty last time, eventually went to TRS itself with the corporator switching sides to the ruling party. The party candidates came second in six other wards in the two circles, while BJP candidates were runners up in two other wards and the Congress contestants were in distant third position or beyond in all the 11 wards.
However, the emergence of BJP as a strong contender this time appears to be changing the equation in the two circles with some local rank and file switching sides to it from Congress and TDP. Some TRS supporters too have switched loyalties to BJP.
“Although the TDP is not a force to reckon with this time, it still holds some sway over the electorate and impact the result helping decide the winner. Those who are not satisfied with the TRS for the last five years are likely to switch their favour to others in the fray this time, mostly BJP,” R.S. Raju, an AP origin entrepreneur, in Hydernagar ward said explaining the changing equations.
Although localised problems such as poor sanitation or drainage system and poor upkeep of internal roads are in the minds of the electorate in all the 11 wards, some serious discontent is lingering in the minds of a section of the electorate in the matter of ₹10,000 each flood relief distribution to families affected by heavy rains in October.
“The relief assistance has been given to many ineligible families at the cost of genuinely affected ones as the sitting corporators, legislators and local leaders have influenced the identification of the beneficiaries. We are not even allowed to meet our legislator in his camp office in Allwyn Colony ward and we could not even enrol our name for the relief amount as there were serpentine queues at a nearby MeeSeva centre for three days before it was stopped,” M. Mohan, who ekes out a living as a construction worker, said narrating the issue.
Several residents in most of the wards, however, admitted that water supply was no more a problem although there had been instances of non-supply for days ranging up to seven, due to repairs and other reasons. Several low-income group households also have complaints of not having ration cards in the two circles.
