Hyderabad: The announcement of reservations for divisions has changed political equations in GHMC elections.
In Secunderabad circle, all the nine division were reserved for women, while in Hitec Serilingampally Circle-I, all the divisions were allotted to general candidates. Ticket aspirants are trying to rope in their family members after their divisions were reserved to women.
Ticket aspirants who changed parties with an eye on tickets are now giving a second thought after they lost the opportunity to contest elections due to reservations. For instance, in Jeedimetal division, former DCC president K.M. Pratap joined TRS and sought corporator ticket for his son. But the division has now been reserved for BC.
Similarly, in Chintal division TDP leader Vijaya Shekar joined TRS and sought ticket but the division now went to BC-woman. Likewise, the sons of city ministers Talasani Srinivas Yadav and T.Padma Rao Goud, vied for divisions in Secunderabad circle but all the circles were now reserved to women. It remains to be seen whether the ministers field their women family members from these wards to replace their sons.
“About one-third of the sitting corporators out of total 150 have deserted respective parties to join TRS with an aim of securing TRS corporator tickets. Not even half of them would be able to contest with the announcement of fresh reservations. They are already sending signals to come back to their parent party, if they are offered tickets,” said G.Kishan Reddy, state BJP president.
Opposition parties are expecting large-scale migration of leaders from TRS who lost a chance to secure party tickets due to reservations as the deadline for nominations near.
“The migrations to TRS was for party tickets. When they can't get tickets due to reservations, they are bound to come back. We are already getting indications from such leaders on their return, if offered party tickets,” said K.P. Vivekanand, city Congress MLA.
Even some TRS leaders who lost chance to contest due to reservations are looking at other parties, if they are offered tickets in other divisions which suit them.
