Cong, MIM gang up to keep TDP out of Standing Committee

Hyderabad, June 7 (INN): Hectic political activity was witnessed in the city unit of the Congress party right through Tuesday to ensure that the party's candidates are elected as the Standing Committee members of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The elections are scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

Labour Minister and Greater Hyderabad Congress president Danam Nagender was seen meeting his party Corporators through the day and hosted an informal luncheon at the Central Court Hotel to ensure that his message to them gets through clearly.

Mr Nagender told the Corporators that they must ensure that the party captures at least eight of the 15 seats to the Standing Committee while the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen candidates capture the seven remaining seats.

The Labour Minister's efforts come in the wake of reports that a majority of the Congress Corporators are a dejected lot and could resort to cross-voting. The Corporators' disenchantment stems from the fact that the Standing Committee is believed to have been relegated to being a 'rubber-stamp' and the real power in the GHMC has been seized by Chandra Reddy, Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy's husband.

According to informed sources, another reason behind the Corporators' disenchantment stems from rumours that an independent Corporator has managed to get himself nominated as the official Congress candidate.

The Congress Corporators believe that this particular candidate has 'oiled the machine' to be able to get himself nominated, despite every party Corporator vying for the nominations. If rumours are to be believed, a Minister was part of the oiled machinery. Besides this, lakhs of rupees are believed to have changed hands for nominating two party Corporators.

Meanwhile, the TDP will meet at the GHMC head office at 8 AM on Wednesday to finalise its strategy to ensure that its two candidates get on board the Standing Committee. The previous Standing Committee was only represented by the Congress and the MIM.

However, the combined strategy of the Congress and MIM may dash the hopes of the TDP to get even one member on the Standing Committee. The MIM Corporators have already been instructed by party president Asaduddin Owaisi on who to vote for. The Congress has 63, TDP 44, MIM 42, BJP 5, PRP 2, MBT 1 and three independents form the 150 member Corporation.

The Corporators have the option of voting for 15 candidates of their choice. If they cast their votes for more than 15 candidates, their ballot would be considered invalid.

The voting will be held on from 10 AM to 3 PM in the Face to Face and Library Halls in the GHMC head office. Counting will take place after polling and results will be announced in the evening.