With the new incoming set of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) corporators all set to take charge a day after the present GHMC council term ends on February 10, the stage is all set for an interesting mayoral election. All the 149 waiting corporators will take oath in a meeting at 11:00 a.m.
On February 11, 2021, the newly elected members in a special meeting will elect the GHMC mayor, considered to be the first citizen of Hyderabad, by a show of hands. The corporators will vote based on directions of their respective party. After this, the deputy mayor will be chosen on the same day by the presiding officer, who is the Hyderabad district Collector Sweta Mohanty.
The GHMC elections were held on December 1, 2020, in which, the TRS secured 56 seats, while the BJP managed to increase its tally to 47 members. The AIMIM managed to retain its 44 seats in the Old City by winning 44 seats. The Congress, which was once a strong player, just won 2 seats, and the once dominant Telugu Desam Party (TDP) drew a blank.
Hence, only the BJP, TRS or the AIMIM can run for themayoral post if they manage to prove majority in a floor test. Though the TRS emerged as the single largest party, it is falls short of the simple majority needed to elect the mayor and deputy mayor on itsown. The mayor’s post is reserved for a woman candidate of any community (Schedule caste, Schedule tribe, Backward class) for next two terms (starting with 2020 GHMC elections).
All the directly elected 149 corporators, 41 ex-officio members including MLCs, MLAs and MPs (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) are the voters for the mayoral election. In this council there are190 voters (aside from the 149 elected corporators) as it also includes other ex-officio members like members of Parliament (Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha), among others.
When asked about his party’s prospects for the mayor elections, Mudabbir Khan, TRS party secretary, LB Nagar, said“TRS has 56 corporators and 29 ex-officio members, so it has a total of 85 members to vote, which is more than the BJP and AIMIM. In such a case it can elect a mayor clearly without any party’s support. Both the posts will come to the TRS like last time.
Many AIMIM corporators have been appointed as observers in Bengal for the state election hence their strength will come down. That will help the TRS to prove its majority. With only 49 voters, BJP does not have enough numbers to put up a candidate against the TRS”.
The model code of conduct is in place to deter party representatives to campaign 48 hours before the mayoral elections as well.
In case the BJP and AIMIM don’t announce their candidates, then the TRS’s proposed candidate will be declared elected unanimously without any elections.
In the event of a tie, the presiding officer will draw the lots in the presence of the members and the candidate whose name is first drawn will be declared to have won. However, if the TRS takes support from any party then the same will be announced a day earlier.
