With the notification for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal corporation (GHMC) elections expected any moment, major political parties have started gearing up to capture the richest and the most resourceful civic body in the State.
Interestingly the elections to the 150 member corporation will see the gen-next pitted against each other.
While K Taraka Rama Rao, son of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao will spearhead the campaign of the TRS, Telugu Desam Party will be led by the young scion N lokesh, son of party’s national president Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
However the other parties will have the familiar old faces in the lead. Former Minister D Nagendar, who contrary to the speculation did not defect to the TRS will be commanding the Congress campaign.
MIM, which ruled the body for the last five years in alliance with Congress will be led by Owaisi brothers Asaduddin and Akbaruddin. BJP’s campaign will see the Telangana unit president and local MlA G Kishan Reddy in the forefront.
As GHMC poll was being seen as a prestigious contest all the major parties were taking it very seriously and have started chalking out their strategies.
TRS, which is relatively weaker in the GHMC region was likely to have a tactical understanding with the MIM which has strong clout in almost one third of the city. But no direct electoral agreement was likely. Taraka Rama Rao a senior minister has already shared platform with the MIM leadership in Old City as Owaisi brothers were on the spree of inaugurating many developmental works in the 7 assembly constituencies in the hands of MIM.
Congress has ruled out tie up with any party and will contest on its own. Party general secretary Digvijay Singh has already held strategy sessions with the Hyderabad and Telangana Congress leaders on how to regain the past glory.
TDP and BJP were likely to repeat the alliance arrangements of 2014. In an indication of how serious the BJP was taking the election the party president and strategist Amit Shah today met the Telangana leaders and reviewed the preparations. State BJP president G Kishan Reddy and senior leaders Indrasena Reddy,K lakshman and Nagam Janardhan Reddy took part in the discussions in Delhi. The leaders also met the Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.
The discussions assume significance in view of the fact that a section of BJP was opposed to tie up with TDP.
Another problem the BJP was facing was the revolt of a firebrand city BJP MlA Raja Singh. He has threatened to field rebel candidates if his supporters were not accommodated.
TDP which was likely to discuss the seat sharing with BJP leaders on Friday was also taking the fight seriously. According to the party sources Chandrababu Naidu will address a public meeting in Hyderabad on December 28 to kick off the campaign.
lone TDP MlA from Hyderabad M Gopinath is confidant that the TDP-BJP combine will emerge victorious by winning at least 80 seats.