TRS scores landslide win in Greater Hyderabad polls

Telangana's ruling TRS a scored a landslide victory in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, whose results of which were declared Friday.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had won or was leading in at least 100 divisions in 150-member municipal body, virtually wiping out main opposition Congress and the Telugu Desam Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP-TDP) alliance.

Out of the results declared till 6 p.m., TRS bagged 83 seats and was leading in another 17 divisions. This means the TRS, which had not contested the GHMC elections in 2009, has the majority to have its own corporator as mayor.

It was a remarkable performance for TRS, which proved its relevance in Hyderabad, which is currently joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The party which led the movement for separate Telangana state formed the first government in the new state following its victory in 2014 elections. However, the party could win just two out of 24 assembly seats in GHMC limits.

The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) maintained its stranglehold in the old city of Hyderabad. It so far won 30 seats and was leading in two divisions.

The BJP won three and its alliance partner TDP won one seat.

The Congress, which is the main opposition party in Telangana, could win only one seat.

The counting of votes polled in Tuesday's elections began at 3 p.m. but the results and trends were announced after 5 p.m. when repolling in one division concluded.

Elections held in all 150 divisions on Tuesday had recorded 45.27 percent turnout. According to GHMC, 33,60,543 voters out of the total electorate of 74,23,980 cast their votes.

A re-poll in Puranapull division in the old city was ordered following complaints of rigging and incidents of violence.

The TRS had fielded candidates for all the 150 divisions while Congress contested 149 seats. The TDP had fielded candidates in 90 divisions and BJP in 60. The MIM contested 63 seats.

This was the first GHMC election after the formation of separate Telangana state.

The TRS had no representation in the previous body, where the Congress shared power with MIM after their victory in 2009 elections.

In the first GHMC, Congress had 52 seats and MIM 43. TDP had bagged 45 seats while BJP had five corporators.

The TDP-BJP alliance, which is ruling neighboring Andhra Pradesh, was banking on voters from Andhra Pradesh settled in Hyderabad but the results show that the TRS won even in those divisions where Seemandhra voters were in sizeable numbers.

Leaving behind the bitterness of the Telangana movement, TRS had also tried to reach out to people from Andhra, saying Hyderabad belong to all people who live here.