Buoyed by Dubbaka win, BJP Gearing up to Give Tough Fight in GHMC Elections

 

The following article was written for MyInd Makers. Pasting it here for reference:

This past Sunday morning, a TRS campaign vehicle was passing through our area. On the speaker, we hear a voice telling us how intelligent planning by KCR has helped drastically minimize the traffic jams in Madhapur. Now, you begin to wonder which Madhapur are these people talking about! Up until when the lockdown began – it was nightmare to commute on the Madhapur-HiTech City-Kondapur stretch.

It’s not just about this stretch. During the pre-lockdown days, almost every single day, there is a twitter message from relevant traffic police handles about traffic jams on the same stretch of roads in many parts of the city. Citizens would really expect those in power to apply their mind to this daily irritating problem and try to make their lives easier. So, you would ask - What was done to try and resolve this traffic problem?

You will be told about the Strategic Road Development Program (SRDP). A strategy so brilliant that it created new traffic hurdles at places it was implemented! Don’t believe me? Ask any one of the lakhs of commuter facing that problem at the famed Raheja IT park in HiTech City. Or ask any one of the lakhs of commuters in the central part of the city who haven’t been blessed yet with this strategy.

It’s not that new roads were not built. Many new stretches were developed. Only to be dug again. And again. Or to be built with a sharp turn that will either cause accidents or traffic jams, yet again! There isn’t a single stretch of 1-2 km road where you can drive without worrying about encountering an obstacle! If this is the kind of strategic development that is being envisaged – it is but natural for people to laugh at your claims that traffic problems have been resolved!

The upcoming GHMC elections (originally due in Feb, but preponed to December) have bought this and many other civic issues to the fore. These elections have also grabbed the attention of the English media that sits in Delhi. The BJP is on a high after they defeated TRS in the recent Dubbaka by-poll and is running a high-profile campaign. The ruling TRS is banking on KTR’s charisma and the work that he has done for Hyderabad over the past 5 years. It is important to note that it is KTR alone who has been the face of the party for the past 5 years – the Mayor and corporators have been inconsequential. The Congress party is nowhere to be seen or felt! And the other big player – MIM – is making some noises but for them, they have always won those 40-45 seats in the old city, so there is no real competition for them. After victory, they will anyway align with the TRS party.

GHMC has 150 divisions. In these, 35-45 will be won by MIM. It is a fight between TRS and BJP in the remaining 100-odd divisions. KTR is banking on the fact that many companies have continued to expand or invest into Hyderabad, thereby creating huge employment and enabling more growth of the city. He is also banking on fixing the dreaded power problem of Hyderabad, but many citizens are fully aware that this problem was solved after joint collaboration with the central government only. They are further banking on the 50% waiver given on property tax for this year.

The opposition, in this case the BJP alone, is banking on the misplaced handling of the Corona tests; the bungling of relief distribution for the recent Hyderabad floods; the administrative apathy of the GHMC in resolving simple issues of the citizens; corruption and arrogance of the corporators; and the apathy of the CM in not visiting many affected areas of Hyderabad.

Both the TRS and the BJP are also invoking other state and national issues into this election too – to show the nature of governance both parties can provide to the people. Now, if you were following the English media, you would be baffled at the issues mentioned above because all you can hear is “Communalising” of elections! Well, when you have MIM in the fray, why would elections not become communal in nature?

MIM is the only party that is not banking on development. MIM stopped the expansion of the Metro services into the old city. CM KCR obliged to this weird request. MIM wants the demolition of the P.V.Narasimha Rao’s and NTR’s ghats in Hyderabad. Videos have come up where the crowd is booing the MIM leaders. TRS has gone about telling us that they are not in alliance with MIM, but there is not a soul that believes in this! While the Dubbaka by-poll was happening, TRS working president KTR accused the BJP of trying to foment communal trouble in Hyderabad! Till date, we are still wondering what the link to a by-poll and trouble in Hyderabad is. So even before BJP made any noise, both the TRS and MIM have started accusing the BJP of trying to foment communal trouble in Hyderabad!

While the campaign heats up in the runup to the December 1st poll, one thing is quite clear – this election will not be a predictable landslide like the 2016 one. In that election, TRS won 99 and MIM won 44 of the total 150 divisions. All elections are of course interesting – the 2020 GHMC elections will also be interesting given the close nature of the contest and its potential to alter the political landscape of the state. Over to December 1st for the voter to make the choice!