Battle for civic body at long last

By J. S. Ifthekhar

HYDERABAD, NOV. 8. With the much-delayed election to the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad now becoming a certainty, the election scene is hotting up in the city. Major political parties have already hit the campaign trail. The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and the BJP have covered a major ground while the ruling Telugu Desam Party has just begun the exercise. The Congress-I launched its campaign on Saturday with a padayatra from Charminar.

In the initial round the parties are trying to gauge public mood rather than drumming up support. It is an attempt to assess their weaknesses and strong points vis-a-vis their rivals. The gap between promises and performance is a big worry. Will the electorate vote in anger or approval -- that's the major concern.

In 1986 when the election was last held to the Corporation, the Majlis topped the chart by bagging 38 seats, followed by the TDP (25), the Congress (22) and the BJP (12). This time the civic body polls have gained significance with election to the Mayoral post being direct.

The Majlis and the Congress-I are banking on the "non performance" of the Telugu Desam and the "communal image" of the BJP to romp home while the TDP feels the development of the State capital is enough to see it through. The BJP pins its hope on its strong presence in the city and the "good" performance of the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, at the Centre.

The Majlis has covered about 70 wards in a vigorous door-to-door campaign. However, the electioneering is shorn of the ballyhoo usually associated with it. The party is concentrating on group meetings, padayatra and one-to-one interaction for maximum effect.

"Hamara Shahar, Hamara Mayor" - that's the slogan the Majlis is going to town with. The Charminar MLA, Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi, is the man charting out the poll strategy. He wouldn't reveal the game plan but oozes confidence about his party's winning prospects. He feels the back-breaking taxes imposed by the TDP- BJP combine will work against it. "We will bag maximum number of seats and also the Mayor's post," he declares.

The TDP, on the other hand, is quite certain of wresting the mayoral post as also 65 seats on its own. Though it is not yet decided, the party's city president and HUDA chairman, Mr. T. Krishna Reddy, is sure of the TDP-BJP alliance. "The global image acquired by Hyderabad on account of the Chief Minister's policies is enough to guarantee victory," remarks Mr. Reddy.

He lists out the developmental works in the city -- flyovers, Necklace Road, NTR Gardens and the clean city awards -- as the major achievements of the TDP. The party's alliance with the BJP wouldn't have any bearing on the minorities' support. Construction of the Haj House had shown the Government's commitment to minorities' cause. Besides, the Government had sanctioned 200 Urdu teacher posts and granted Rs. 35 crores for construction of school buildings in the old city.

The Congress-I is shortly going to set up a civic board with senior party leaders to coordinate the local body elections. "The anti-people policies of the Government have completely alienated it from the public and this will help us," says the new City Congress president, Mr. M. Anjan Kumar Yadav. He cites the good showing of the party in the MPTC and ZPTC elections to support his argument.

The Congress feels the BJP's support base in the city has suffered with the Medak MP, Mr. A. Narendra, partying ways. On the contrary, the minorities, Dalits and backward classes are rooting for Congress, says Mr. Yadav.

The BJP is going about the issue in a meticulous way. The party has already held meetings of locality elders, youth and mahila organisations under each polling booth. The various projects in the city, particularly the multi-mode transport system and the International Airport, are largely due to the support and funds extended by the Centre. "All this will boost our chances," says the Musheerabad MLA, Dr. K. Laxman.

The poll momentum is expected to pick up once the Government finalises reservations for various categories.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Cong., Left reject CM charge on RTC strike
Next     : 5,000 houses to be built in city under new scheme