Question

analysis about GHMC elections 2020​

Answer 1

Answer:

To know the story of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election in a nutshell, travel to Habsiguda ward. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) fielded sitting corporator Bethi Swapna Reddy, wife of Uppal MLA Bethi Subhas Reddy, as its candidate. It was a politically suicidal decision because videos of citizens shouting at Subhas Reddy for not providing help during the Hyderabad floods had gone viral and were fresh in the electorate's mind. With that kind of seething public anger, it was no surprise that Swapna Reddy bit the dust in the election.

Making big inroads in the state capital, the BJP won 48 seats. The TRS bagged 56 seats, emerging as the single-largest party but fell short of the majority mark. Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won 44 seats while the Congress finished a distant fourth with just two seats.

Several wards that had borne the brunt of the flood fury similarly replaced the TRS pink stole with the BJP saffron. The story of the TRS performance is as much about poor ticket distribution as about caring two hoots about public perception. The vote is revenge against the TRS dispensation for not reaching out adequately and with compassion when Hyderabadis were in distress. The vote is to tell the party leadership that fielding candidates like Swapna Reddy was rubbing salt on their wounds. The vote is to caution them against taking the public for granted.

It is obvious the TRS did not see it coming. Every exit poll too had given the party seats above 75, the halfway mark. This is probably why the party started celebrating early at Telangana Bhavan, the TRS headquarters in Hyderabad, feting posters of K Chandrasekhar Rao and KT Rama Rao with milk abhishekam, bursting crackers and dancing.