In addition to the 150 candidates who win the elections, there are also 52 ex officio members, who can also vote for the mayor.
As the results of the controversial Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections leak after a high-decibel campaign, it appears that no party has been able to achieve an absolute majority. The ruler Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), the BJP and Congress were in the fray, and neither party appears to be heading towards a clear majority. While TRS seating has been significantly reduced, the BJP has made significant progress.
So how does a political party win the GHMC elections and how is the mayor of Hyderabad, one of the fastest growing cities in India, elected?
In addition to the 150 candidates who win the GHMC election from various city districts, there are also 52 ex officio members, who can also vote for the mayor. In short, ex officio members are members of the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council, and Parliament, whose jurisdiction is within the limits of the municipal corporation. – in this case, Hyderabad. Then the Hyderabad MLA, MP and MLC can vote for the mayor.
This is established in the GHMC Act of 1956. Section 5 (1A), which names these elected representatives as ex officio members, gives them the “right to participate in the proceedings of the meetings of municipal councils or corporations, such as the case may be “. Although ex-officio members cannot vote on other matters, Section 90 (subsection 1) of the same Act establishes guidelines that allow them to vote for a mayor and a deputy mayor at the first meeting of the corporation.
There are 52 ex officio members in Hyderabad, but seven of them cannot vote as they cast their vote in another corporation or council that was under their jurisdiction. Of the 45 remaining members, 31 belong to TRS, followed by AIMIM at 10, BJP at 3, and Congress at 1.
With 150 elected members and 45 ex-officio members, the total strength of the GHMC council would be considered 195. For a party to win by simple majority, it needs 98 votes. As the TRS has 31 ex-officio members, it is the closest to this point, as the TRS needs 67 seats in the elections to elect the next mayor of Hyderabad.
But if TRS doesn’t win 67 seats, then TRS may be forced to forge an alliance or negotiate a deal for the mayor’s office.
Counting of votes cast in the 150 divisions began at 8 a.m. Friday at 30 locations across the city with the Telangana State Elections Commission deploying more than 8,000 people. Police have made elaborate security arrangements in the city in light of the count.
Of the total voters of 74.67 lakh, 46.55% had cast their votes in 149 divisions on Tuesday. There were 1,925 postal ballots. Voting in one division was halted due to a ballot discrepancy and a new vote was held on Thursday.
With IANS inputs
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