BJP, TRS engage in accusations day before GHMC polls

The BJP and TRS were engaged in accusations and counter-charges on Monday, a day before the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls.

Arrangements are made for the 74.67 lakh registered voters in the city to exercise their franchise on Tuesday to elect the new civic body of 150 wards from among the 1122 candidates.

Paper ballots and boxes are being used, instead of the EVMs in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The civic body polls dubbed as a “gully vs Delhi fight” by the TRS leaders, saw an unprecedented level of campaigning from the BJP involving its top guns including party chief JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah.

The ruling TRS too took the poll seriously and even held a large public meeting addressed by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, in its attempt to match the 99 wards it had won in 2016.

The GHMC, presently governed by the TRS, has a total of 150 wards. TRS is contesting in 150, BJP in 149, Congress in 146, and the AIMIM in 51 seats.

Asaduddin Owaisi's party had contested in 60 seats last time and won 44 wards. Confining its contest in areas of influence in the old city now, AIMIM hopes to win around the same number of seats.

On Sunday, soon after the campaigning officially ended, BJP alleged that the TRS leaders were distributing money to influence the voters. In a letter to the State Election Commission, T-BJP complained that their election office in Chaitanyapuri was damaged by the TRS activists and that when complained, the police have instead attacked their party men.

On Monday, BJP has led a protest at the SEC office, alleging that the police were acting in a biased manner, not acting on their complaints.

The TRS leaders have brushed aside the complaints as BJP's false accusations.

Meanwhile, the state election commission and police officials stated that all election arrangements are in place.

Voters have to wear a mask to enter the polling station. Cell phones, other electronic gadgets are prohibited inside. In view of Covid-19, sanitization is carried at every polling station a day before and on the polling day, sanitizers provided at the entry/exit points and markings made for social distancing in the voter queues, officials said.

Counting is on 4 December.

GHMC elections stats:

Number of registered electors - 74,67,256

Number of wards - 150

Number of contesting candidates - 1122

Number of polling stations - 9101

Number of ballot boxes - 18202

Number of polling personnel - 36,404