After the charge of elimination of Seemandhra voters from voter list, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has found itself at the centre of another controversy- irrational delimitation of divisions. All opposition parties, who, in a concerted effort forced the Election Commission of India to dispatch a team to inquire into the voter deletion charges against the then commissioner Somesh Kumar, now cry foul over the delimitation of divisions in GHMC area. They charged that ruling TRS-MIM combine with a game plan to delimit the division in such a way that the strongholds of BJP were disturbed.
The party lodged a complaint with Governor ESL Narasimhan against the ruling party stating that the TRS government was arbitrarily restructuring the existing divisions with political motives. The BJP sought the Governor’s intervention in the matter. BJP leaders urged the Governor to verify the entire delimitation process and direct the government to increase the number of divisions from 150 to 200 as was promised to the High Court.
A BJP team led by party Floor leader in the Assembly Dr K Laxman, MLA and leaders Chintala Ramachandra Reddy and others met the governor and presented a memorandum to this effect. “The GHMC has issued a notification on delimitation of the civic body jurisdiction into 150 election wards along with boundary description of each ward. The notification stands in contrast with the stated policy decision of the government and in contravention of an affidavit submitted to the High Court,” the memorandum said.
The party alleged that the division like kukatapally, Ziaguda, Bagh Lingampally, and Domalguda etc which were considered strongholds of BJP and TDP parties were being split with the objective of weakening these parties. Dr Laxhman alleged that the TRS and MIM, were not ready to increase the divisions from 150 to 200, with the fear that such a move would not benefit them.
“KCR said the government has decided to increase the number of divisions from 150 to 200 in GHMC limits in tune with the increase in voters from 54 lakh to 67 lakh, but it is not acting on this . We want to know as to why the government has dropped it. The government has to explain,” Dr Laxman said. The governor assured the BJP delegation that he would look into their grievances and take appropriate action.
In another development a team of Telugu Desam Party Hyderabad president and MLA Maganti Gopinath met newly-appointed GHMC commissioner Janardhana Reddy and submitted division-wise objections on delimitation to him. MBT leaders Khayam Khan and Amjed Ullah Khan also called on GHMC commissioner Reddy and submitted a memorandum raising objections in the way the delimitation of municipal division had been taken up. MBT leaders said present delimination process was violative of GO MS No. 570 (MA&UD) which spelt out that natural boundaries should be maintained during delimitation of municipal ” As per the GO municipal ward should not extend into two Assembly segments. But in the Old City, many wards cross natural boundary and spread into another Assembly constituencies,” they said.