Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) general meeting on Thursday witnessed dramatic protests as BJP corporators arrived at the GHMC office. They raised slogans demanding that the Goshamahal Stadium not be demolished and opposed the proposed construction of Osmania Hospital at the site.
BJP urged the government to build the hospital in the area behind the existing Osmania Hospital. The protest created a tense atmosphere, prompting heavy police deployment at the GHMC headquarters to ensure the budget meeting proceeded without disruption.
Amid the protests, the GHMC meeting proceeded with its primary agenda of approving the budget for the financial year 2025-26. The session began with council members paying tributes to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and industrialist Ratan Tata. Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi presented the budget in the assembly, which was approved without any discussion.
Meanwhile, speculation about a potential no-confidence motion against Mayor Vijayalakshmi continued to swirl. The opposition BRS party has been rumored to be considering such a move, though Congress leaders have dismissed it as unfeasible. They pointed out that the GHMC council’s four-year term ends on February 11, making the motion technically invalid. Congress leaders also expressed confidence that the BRS lacks the necessary support to pass the motion.
Mayor Vijayalakshmi addressed the no-confidence speculation, stating that she has no objection to any opposition party exercising their democratic right to propose such a motion. She clarified that at least 98 out of 196 councilors and ex-officio members must submit a formal request to the Hyderabad district collector for the motion to proceed, a requirement she believes the opposition may not meet.
