GHMC polls put Majlis in king maker's position

 

The GHMC polls results of which were declared on Friday has put the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) in a king maker's position yet again. Though the BJP has stolen a march over the Majlis pushing it to the third position, still the Asadudddin led party is poised to play a key role in the civic body. The ruling TRS has emerged as the leading party undoubtedly with reduced majority, it has to depend on the Majlis to capture the coveted Mayoral post.

Contrary to the expectations that the GHMC poll outcome would be on predictable lines, the results caused a major upset with the TRS failing to retain its supremacy in the civic body. Though the party aimed to cross the century mark, it couldn't even reach its previous best of 99. The TRS ended up with 55 seats with the BJP making inroads in its stronghold. The saffron party, the biggest gainer, put up a spectacular performance by improving its tally from 4 in 2016 to 48 now. The BJP reaped a rich harvest with host of party leaders campaigning vigorously for the local body polls. The main loser was the Congress which has to remain content with just 2 seats.

The bitterly fought and communally polarised elections did not cut ice with people which was clear from the low voter turnout. The civic polls showed yet again the vice-like grip of the Majlis in the old city. The party managed to retain its 44 seats in the face of the stiff challenge posed by the TRS and BJP.

Over the last three decades and more the Majlis has maintained its supremacy in the civic body. When elections were held to the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) in 1986 after the gap of nearly two decades, the Majlis emerged as the single largest party winning 38 wards in the 100 member Council. With the support of Congress, which won 24 seats, it ruled the MCH.

In the 2002 civil polls, the Majlis again emerged as the single largest party with 36 seats. The Majlis was pushed to the third position when elections were held to 150 divisions in 2009 after the formation of GHMC in 2007. The Congress topped the table with 52 divisions followed by TDP which secured 45 and Majlis 43 seats. The BJP got just 5 seats. However, the Majlis held the Mayoral post for three years in alliance with the Congress. In the 2016 elections, the ruling TRS stormed to power in the GHMC bagging 99 divisions followed by MIM which added one more seat to its tally to reach the 44 mark. Though the Majlis lost the king maker's position in the Corporation to the ruling party it, however, shared power with TRS in the Standing Council.

This time again the Majlis finds itself in a dominant position in the Corporation with its support becoming inevitable for the TRS to win the Mayoral post.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated December 04,2020