Hyderabad: Even as high court is hearing petitions challenging the delimitation of wards in GHMC carried out by the municipal administration and urban development (MA&UD) department earlier, the Congress govt appears to be gearing up for holding elections to the three municipal corporations — Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC) — by the end of this year.Chief minister A Revanth Reddy has been participating in various developmental works in core urban region (CURE) limits in Greater Hyderabad for the past two months. He laid foundations for nearly Rs 3,000 crore worth of developmental works both in Cyberabad and Malkajgiri municipal limits. He also laid foundation for the Musi rejuvenation works and other developmental projects in CURE limits.Apart from these projects, the state on Monday announced Indiramma houses in all the 26 assembly constituencies in CURE limits, and the application process began on Tuesday.Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is keen on Congress winning the three corporations and is working on strategies from now itself. As of now, there are 26 assembly constituencies in CURE limits and it is likely to go up to 50 if the delimitation of assembly and Lok Sabha seats happens next year.Sources in the govt said once the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is completed next month, the govt might focus on preparation for the civic bodies polls in Greater Hyderabad. In Feb, the state govt had divided Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and 27 municipalities within ORR into three municipal corporations— GHMC, CMC and MMC.“As of now, there are only 76 wards in Cyberabad Municipal Corporation and 74 in Malkajgiri Corporation. There are requests and plans to increase to 100 wards each in the two corporations. In GHMC there are 150 wards, there are no plans to increase or reduce the number of wards,” a senior municipal administration department official said.Since cases were filed on the delimitation process in the erstwhile GHMC, taking voters instead of population into consideration, and calling it unconstitutional, if high court directs, the delimitation process would be done basedon population, officials said.Congress leaders said the party had its mayor in GHMC between 2009 and 2012 when it shared the post with AIMIM. Later in the GHMC elections, Congress almost drew a blank.After coming to power in Dec 2023, over a dozen BRS corporators shifted loyalties to Congress. Even in the 2023 assembly elections, Congress did not win a single seat. “Now, Congress must win in the three municipal corporations’ elections in view of future assembly and Lok Sabha polls,” a political analyst said.
