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     Andhrawala Legend Username: Andhrawala Post Number: 36582 Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 152.51.56.1 Rating: N/A |
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/GHMC-polls -to-be-held-in-June/articleshow/45935568.cms HYDERABAD: With scores of former councillors from the Congress and TDP reportedly insisting on the holding of the civic body election as a pre-condition for them joining the pink party, the TRS government is mulling holding the GHMC elections as early as June this year. The good performance in the recently-held Secunderabad Cantonment Board elections too has pumped up the enthusiasm in the TRS leadership to go for the civic poll, sources said. TRS sources claimed that as many as 30 TDP and Congress councillors from the recently expired council and at least four sitting MLAs in the GHMC limits are keen on joining the TRS. "Initially, the TRS was reluctant on early GHMC poll as it felt that it had no support base in the greater Hyderabad region and has no representation in the council. But, with many councillors from the TDP and Congress ready to join the party on the condition that the poll should be held at the earliest, the feeling is that we can do well in the elections," the TRS sources said. Among those joining the TRS is Singireddy Srinivas Reddy, TDP floor leader in the last GHMC council, who represented Saidabad ward. While he confirmed that he would join the TRS on January 23 along with his four fellow TDP councillors, Singireddy said he was expecting the civic polls to be held around June as he felt that the situation was favourable for the KCR-led party. Having made up its mind to hold the polls, the TRS wants to time it to the completion of phase III of the Krishna drinking water project. "Once the drinking water project is completed by March, and the power situation improves with the onset of monsoon, the TRS will be on a strong wicket and can put up a good performance in the civic poll," said a TRS leader. According to sources, the former councillors from both the TDP and Congress are negotiating with the TRS leaders in small groups and bargaining hard for good posts while pressing for early polls. Confirming the development, Congress ex-councillor Harivardhan Reddy (Habsiguda) said he is in touch with irrigation minister T Harish Rao. Claiming the support of over 10 Congress councillors, Harivardhan Reddy said he will aim for the post of GHMC mayor after the elections. Among the TDP councillors lined up to join the TRS are G Srinivas Reddy (Malakpet), Kotha Rama Rao (Kapra), Sama Prabhakar Reddy (Hayathnagar), and V Prakash Goud (Kothapet). They are said to be in touch with former TDP and now TRS leaders - Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Teegala Krishna Reddy. In charge of consolidating the support base of the TRS for the GHMC polls, commercial tax minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav told TOI that the preliminary round of talking to workers from the TDP and Congress in the city who want to migrate to the TRS was almost over, and that the joining of the councillors would begin next week. As far as the scheduling of the GHMC polls is concerned, Srinivas Yadav said, "We expect the polls during the next monsoon." While speculations are rife about the trifurcation of the GHMC into the corporations of Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Cyberabad, the main issue that needs to be sorted out before the polls is the delimitation of wards. The number of wards is likely to go up from the present 150 to 174, and the government has already instructed the GHMC election cell to initiate the delimitation process, sources said. If all goes well, the city can witness the GHMC polls in June this year. TRS sources claimed that 30 TDP and Congress councillors from the recently expired council are keen on joining the TRS. No Signature |
