Hyderabad: With a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) going all out to mount a tough challenge in the forthcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government has announced several initiatives including 50 per cent waiver in property tax for the year 2020-21.
While the state government cited the economic slow down due to the pandemic and the lock down as the reason for the relief to urban house owners all over the state, opposition parties have called it a “gimmick” in view of the crucial civic polls.
The TRS had swept the last GHMC elections five years ago with its “friend” All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) coming second, this time the BJP has set the target of winning 100 seats this time.
In 2016 TRS had captured 102 seats and its ally bagged 42. Congress, TDP and the BJP were all reduced to single digits.
Aggressive mood
However after the recent victory in Dubbak assembly by election against the ruling TRS, the BJP was in a confident and aggressive mood and was planning meticulously for the polls. Significance of the GHMC election lies in the fact that as many as 24 state assembly seats fall in its jurisdiction and outcome of its polls will set the tone for the next assembly elections in 2023.
Decision to waive 50% property tax was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister K Chandrsekhar Rao. Briefing the media Minister for municipal administration and urban development K Taraka Rama Rao said that it was a fit of Diwali for the people reeling under the impact of COVID-19.
“The decision will benefit about 1.3 million house owners in GHMC limits and 1.7million house owners in other municipalities in the state”, the minister said. The move will cost the exchequer Rs 3.26 billion, he added.
For the property owners who have already paid their property tax for the current year, 50% amount will be adjusted next year.
Through another order the government has also raised the salaries of the sanitary public health workers and other field level staff by Rs 3,000 per month.
Reacting to the government’s move Congress spokesperson Sravan Dasoju alleged that the government was indulging in political gimmickry ahead of the GHMC elections. “The decision is an attempt to influence the gullible people”.
Meanwhile signaling its seriousness towards the GHMC elections, BJP national president JP Nadda has appointed party’s Election Chief of Bihar Bhupender Yadav as in charge for the civic elections. This is first time that a national level leader was given a city corporation election responsibility by any party.
Top leaders
The saffron party has also roped in several other top leaders from various states including a minister from Karnataka K Sudhakar, BJP’s chief whip in Maharashtra assembly Ashish Shelar, party leader from Gujrat Pradig Singh Vaghela as additional incharges. They have been chosen as there was sizeable Kannada, Marathi and Gujrati speaking voters in Hyderabad.
BJP, which was once a formidable force in Hyderabad was reduced to just one seat in 2019 assembly elections. However in last Lok Sabha elections party staged a dramatic comeback and won four Lok Sabha seats including Secunderabad.
The recent Dubbak by election result, in which the BJP defeated TRS by about a thousand votes, has given a big fillip to the party’s morale and it was sensing a good opportunity to capture the GHMC.
Meanwhile TDP National leader N Chandrababu Naidu also directed his Telangana leadership to gear up and take the civic polls in Hyderabad seriously.
The Congress was also trying to recover from Dubbak defeat and regroup itself for the forthcoming challenge. MIM, which ruled the GHMC for decades, has asked the party members to submit their application for GHMC nominations.