Political parties targeting Hyderabad salons, gyms to woo voters ahead of GHMC polls
HYDERABAD: Political parties in the city are busy preparing ground for the much-awaited Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls. While Telangana Rashtra Samiti is popularising how it has developed the city in the past six years, Opposition parties are conducting ground surveys to woo young voters who have played a vital role in defeating the ruling party in the Dubbak bypoll.
The focal centres of political parties are salons, gyms, slums, tea points and local kirana stores, where people congregate in large numbers. They want to learn the current opinion of voters regarding the incumbent corporators. The city wings of various political parties have constituted several teams to know the way wind is blowing in the 150 divisions of the GHMC. Teams are speaking with youth to learn their opinion on the upcoming civic body polls and whether the Dubbak bypoll outcome will have any impact on hustings in the city.
"In past two days, at least 20 people from all political parties have been asking people sitting in salons who they would vote for during the GHMC polls. They want to know how the sitting corporator has performed; whether s/he is corrupt or their spouse is indulging in corrupt activities. We are happy that crowds have increased at our salons,” says M. Ramesh, treasurer of the Secunderabad Salons Association.
Mallesh, a resident of Kacheguda, recounted: "Local representatives of all political parties are asking us whether a particular party can field its candidate in the GHMC polls. They are enquiring about multiple things like the candidate's image, his/her connection with the public, whether s/he has been helping people in an emergency or crisis situation. Response of most people is that the incumbent candidate has not been of any help. As such, it will not be a cake walk for any political party, including the TRS, BJP, MIM, or the Congress," Mallesh maintained.
The TRS is trying to showcase its development agenda through advertisements on hoardings, most of which have already been hired by the ruling party. Opposition parties are busy preparing charge-sheets on the failures of the current candidates and their parties.
Opposition is trying to take maximum advantage by exposing failures of poll promises made by the ruling party in individual divisions during the last GHMC polls in 2016. The handling of the flood situation and irregularities in distribution of compensation to victims is coming of use for the opposition parties.
