Hyderabad: A day after the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) scored a resounding victory in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections, the vanquished opposition parties were continuing to feel the tremors.
The TRS rank and file were celebrating the unprecedented success and the Chief Minister K Chandrsekhar Rao thanking the people of Hyderabad for their support reiterated that the party will fulfil every promise made to them.
Addressing the media he said the party will construct 100,000 two-bedroom houses for the poor families in the city and equal number of flats in the outskirts and make the city slum free and a global city with world class infrastructure. The promises include three government hospitals and two new reservoirs to improve drinking water supply.
While the TRS was now gearing up for the elections of Mayor and deputy Mayor from among the elected members of GHMC, the only other successful party in this election Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen was also happy with its performance.
“I am thankful to God Almighty for this victory”, said party President and MP Asaduddin Owaisi after the final results released by the state election commission put his party at second position with 44 seats, one better than last time. TRS was ahead with 99 seats.
Making the victory a bit extra sweet for MIM, its old bitter rival in the old city Majlis Bachao Tehreek or Save Majlis Movement was also completely wiped out since its formation in 1994.
“The MIM will emerge as a strong political force in the country giving voice to the weaker sections including minorities and Dalits”, Owaisi said savouring the victory.
He said that MIM was a true example of secularism as four members of other communities were also elected on its tickets.
Meanwhile Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee president Danam Nagendar resigned from his post blaming the defeat on the groupism within the party.
In an apparent dig at the Telagnana Congress Committee president Uttam Kumar Reddy, Nagendar told the media that though he was not given full power, he tried his best to lead the party in the elections.
However Uttam Kumar Reddy and the acting president of the party Bhatti Vikramarka were away in Delhi for a meeting and they submitted a report on the reasons for the pathetic performance of the party. Congress which had bagged 53 seats in 2009, came down to an abysmal two.
The situation of the TDP was still worse. The party could win only one seat, while its partner in the alliance the BJP bagged three seats.
While the TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and his son N Lokesh, who led the campaign remained silent, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishnamurthy refused to give too much importance to the outcome. “Defeat and victory is but natural in elections”, he said expressing confidence that the party will do better in future.
The state BJP President G Kishan Reddy reeling under the blow of the worst-ever performance in Hyderabad said the party will not be demoralised by the result. He charged the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao with misusing money power and making false propaganda that the development of Hyderabad would be stopped if TRS loses the election.
While Kishan Reddy expressed his satisfaction that the alliance polled 18 per cent of the votes, other leaders in the party critical of Reddy’s leadership pointed out that the alliance had polled more than 33 per cent in 2014 elections in Hyderabad.