T strike delays MIM's ascent to Mayor's post

Hyderabad, Oct 14 (INN): The Sakala Janula Samme, the general strike demanding Telangana, is proving to be a bless in disguise for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Mayor Banda Kartika Chandra Reddy whose two-year term will be coming to an end on December 4.

As per the deal the Congress and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen had in 2009, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor's posts were to be shared by both parties for five years.

For the first two years, the Congress was given Mayor's post while the MIM kept Deputy Mayor's post. As per the deal, the parties would swap and retain the new posts for the next two years. However, sources say, that the Congress was keen on retaining the Mayor's post for one more year.

Mayor Kartika Reddy has been lobbying with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and other Congress officials to stay on the post for one more year. However, her continuation on the post looks doubtful as other contenders in the party are lobbying even harder to grab the coveted post.

Therefore, even if the MIM agrees to allow the Congress party to continue on Mayor's post one more year, then there are possibilities the party might replace Kartika Reddy with another corporator.

However, the MIM is keen on enforcement of post-poll deal with the Congress. The MIM wants his candidates to be elected to the post of GHMC Mayor while vacating the Deputy Mayor's post for the Congress party. Several MIM corporators are trying hard to become the next GHMC Mayor.

The strong contenders for the post include present Deputy Mayor Jaffer Hussain Meraj, former Mayor Mir Zulfeqar Ali, ex-chairman Standing Committee chairman Yasmeen Sultan and Malakpet MLA Ahmed Balala's younger brother Mohsin Balala.

Similarly, the Congress party too has many contenders for Mayor and Deputy Mayor's posts. They include Minister Mukesh Goud's brother Madhu Goud, GHMC floor leader K Venkatesh, Harshvardhan Reddy and Sunita Prakash Goud.

However, sources say that in order to facilitate the election of a new Mayor, Kartika Reddy would have to resign first. Before filing her papers, she would have to get all the decisions taken in the Standing Committee approved in the General Body meeting approved. But due to the on-going general strike, the GHMC is not in a position to hold the General Body meeting.

Earlier, a meeting was proposed on September 15, but due to the general strike it was postponed. Therefore, unless the GHMC hold the General Body meeting, Kartika Reddy will continue as the Mayor.