The political battle for control of Hyderabad has entered a crucial phase with the five-year term of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) council ending on February 10.
Following the expiry of the elected body's term, the Telangana government, led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who is also the Municipal Administration Minister, has placed the civic administration under a special officer till a fresh election is conducted.
As per municipal law, the election must be held within six months of the term ending unless delayed by exceptional circumstances.
Preparations are already underway, with the State Election Commission finalising ward reservations for all 300 divisions of the expanded civic area, including quotas for scheduled castes and tribes, as well as backward classes and women.
The Revanth Reddy government has announced the trifurcation of GHMC into three corporations – Greater Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri – citing the need for decentralised administration and improved civic services.
However, opposition parties have alleged that the move is politically motivated and aimed at weakening rivals while expanding the ruling Congress' footprint in urban Hyderabad.
The reorganisation follows the expansion of GHMC from 150 to 300 wards and the merger of 27 surrounding municipalities, significantly altering voter demographics and political equations.
Political experts said the redrawn boundaries could disrupt traditional strongholds and force parties to recalibrate their strategies, helping the Congress, which is seen as weak in urban Telangana, particularly in Hyderabad.
In the last GHMC election, held in December 2020, the then-ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now the Bharat Rashtra Samithi) emerged as the largest party with 56 seats, followed by the BJP with 48 and Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM with 44.
The Congress suffered a major setback, winning only two seats.
With no clear majority, the TRS formed the leadership with the AIMIM's support.
Gadwal Vijaya Lakshmi became Mayor and Mothe Srilatha Reddy Deputy Mayor.
In 2023, when the Congress defeated the BRS in the Assembly election, both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor switched loyalty to that party, while the AIMIM is also now a friend to the Congress. These changed political dynamics have also affected the politics of GHMC.
For the Congress, the upcoming election carries high political stakes.
After winning the Jubilee Hills Assembly bypoll in 2025 to boost its confidence, the trifurcation could be another a shot in the arm for the party.
With Hyderabad being Telangana's political, economic, and administrative hub, the GHMC also has 24 (out of 119) Assembly seats and five (out of 17) Lok Sabha constituencies, which shows why winning Hyderabad is winning Telangana.
