Counting of votes for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections, on December 4, 2020. (Source: GHMC PRO)Hyderabad GHMC Election Results 2020 Highlights: The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has emerged as the single-largest party in the Hyderabad civic polls, winning 55 seats, followed by the BJP which has made significant electoral inroads, winning 48 seats. At 44 seats, the AIMIM trailed the saffron party, but performed well in its traditional bastion of the old city of Hyderabad. Meanwhile, the Congress, which has been pushed to the sidelines, has only two divisions to its credit.
Ground report: Massive BJP surge in Hyderabad civic poll, says Telangana next
The results have been declared for 149 out of 150 divisions in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Counting of votes has been halted at Neredmet division as ballot papers with distinguish markers instead of ‘arrow cross-mark rubber stamp’ were found in majority.
While the BJP is celebrating its impressive show, the TRS–which had won 88 seats in the 2016 elections–said it will analyse the downfall in performance. TRS working president KT Rama Rao said the party fell short of 20-25 seats. “We will address the issues on why we haven’t received a desired outcome,” he said. (Also read: What’s at stake for the TRS and BJP in the GHMC polls?)
BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav, on the other hand, hailed the party’s performance as a “moral victory” and called the BJP the “only alternative” to the ruling TRS. Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated party workers and expressed gratitude to voters who “reposed faith in PM Modi-led BJP’s politics of development”.
Though the run-up to the polls saw a high-pitched campaign by the parties, the turnout of the voters on December 1 was an unimpressive 46.55 per cent (34.50 lakh) out of the total 74.67 lakh voters.
Residents of Hyderabad, wearing face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus, wait in a queue to cast their votes during the GHMC elections, on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. (AP Photo: Mahesh Kumar A.)
Even as the TRS retained its position as the single-largest party in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, the KCR-led party may need the support of others to retain the mayor's post. In the results declared Friday, the ruling TRS witnessed a downfall in its performance, with BJP dislodging the party from half the seats it had held since 2016. While the BJP tally went up from four in 2016 to 48, the TRS numbers went down from 99 to 55.
With only one result in the 150-member GHMC still pending following the order for a recount, the TRS will finish well short of the mark of at least 65 seats to get the mayor’s post. Read more
The Telangana High Court on Friday kept in abeyance the latest order of the Telangana State Election Commission that allowed counting of ballot papers with distinguishing markings instead of the arrow cross-mark rubber stamp as valid votes. It, however, allowed counting of votes to continue.
On Thursday, Secretary of SEC M Ashok Kumar clarified "if the intention of the voter is clear on marking to a particular candidate, that vote can be treated as a valid vote to the candidate since it is the mistake of the polling personnel under rule 51(h) of Conduct of Election Rules, 2005. Read more
Marking a stunning performance in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, the BJP on Friday emerged as the second-largest party, dislodging the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) from half the seats it had held. While the BJP tally went up from four in 2016 to 48, the TRS numbers went down from 99 to 55.
With only one result in the 150-member GHMC still pending following the order for a recount, the TRS will finish well short of the mark of at least 65 seats to get the mayor's post. Read full story here
"We will fight the BJP in a democratic way. We are confident that people of Telangana will stop BJP from expanding its footprints in the state," AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi said. The AIMIM has won 44 seats in the civic body polls, behind the BJP which has won 48 seats.
AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi: "We have won on 44 seats in Hyderabad GHMC elections. I have spoken to all newly elected corporators and asked them to begin their work from tomorrow itself."
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on GHMC election result: "The spectacular win for BJP in Hyderabad reaffirms people's faith in PM Modi's leadership and in politics of development. Hearty congratulations to all Karyakartas of Telangana BJP for the stupendous feat."
BJP President JP Nadda hailed the party's impressive show at the GHMC elections. Taking to Twitter, Nadda said the "historic verdict shows that people of the country supports only & only development agenda. This result reflects people's unequivocal support to PM Modi's development & governance model."
Results have been declared for 149 of the 150 divisions in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has emerged as the single-largest party, winning 55 divisions. The BJP is the main challenger to TRS, winning 48 divisions, ahead of the AIMIM which has won 44.
Counting of votes was halted at Neredmet division as ballot papers with distinguish markers instead of 'arrow cross-mark rubber stamp' were found in majority. The Telangana HC had directed the State Election Commission to stop counting in such a case.
While the ruling TRS looks all set to retain control of the city civic body in Hyderabad, Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao said the party was expecting to win more seats.
"I thank people of Hyderabad who chose TRS as the single largest party to represent them in Council. Result is certainly not what we expected, we're short of 20-25 seats. We lost about 10-12 divisions with extremely narrow margin," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
As per latest update, the TRS has won 56 of the 150 seats so far, followed by the BJP which has won 46. The AIMIM has emerged third with 42 seats.
Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the BJP's impressive performance in the GHMC elections in Hyderabad. Taking to Twitter, he expressed gratitude to the voters who 'reposed faith in PM Modi-led BJP’s Politics of Development.'
The ruling TRS looked all set to retain control of the city civic body, winning 56 of the 150 seats so far, while BJP's high profile campaign appeared to have paid off, with the party winning 46 seats, ahead of AIMIM's tally of 42.BJP State president and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar hailed the party's performance. #BhagyanagarWithBJP #NationWithNamo pic.twitter.com/dt0GAEG18R— Arvind Dharmapuri (@Arvindharmapuri) December 4, 2020
Result has been declared for 146 divisions out of the 150 contested in the GHMC elections. While the TRS has maintained its lead, winning 56 seats so far, the BJP has won 46, more than AIMIM's tally of 42. The Congress could win only 2 seats as of now.
BJP's performance in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls is a "moral victory" for the party and it has emerged as the "only alternative" to the ruling TRS in Telangana, its general secretary Bhupender Yadav said on Friday.
"The results are very encouraging and a moral booster for the BJP, and in a way, it is a moral victory of the party. The results reaffirms that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and his model of good governance has acceptability across regions," Yadav, who was deputed as in-charge for the local elections in Hyderabad, told PTI.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy has tendered his resignation owing to the party's poor performance in the GHMC elections. He has been the party's Telangana chief since 2014.
Results have been declared for 121 seats so far. The TRS has secured a lead, winning 46 seats, followed by the AIMIM (41), BJP (32), and Congress (2).
Supporters of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti(TRS) are celebrating the party's lead in the GHMC election. The TRS is currently leading the tally, winning 42 seats, followed by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) which has won 34.
The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti(TRS) is currently leading the tally, winning 42 seats, followed by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) which has won 34. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which aspires to emerge as the main challenger to TRS, has won 22 divisions so far. The Congress, which has been pushed to the sidelines, has two divisions to its credit.
Results have been declared for 75 divisions. The AIMIM has won 31 seats so far, followed by TRS (26), BJP (16), and Congress (2)
Official results have been declared for 56 of 150 wards. The AIMIM is ahead of TRS, winning 23 seats so far, while the TRS has won 22. The BJP has won 9 seats and the Congress 2.
Unnerved by the loss in Dubbak, the TRS advanced the GHMC election, which was to be held in January, hoping to catch its rivals off guard. However, the party is facing flak for its handling of the recent Hyderabad floods. People are blaming the municipal administration and the government for reacting late, and when they did, it was said to be lackadaisical and inadequate.
For the BJP, which now has two MLAs and four MPs, the civic election is an opportunity to increase its presence in Hyderabad and gain more ground in the hinterland of Telangana. Party leaders also want to prove that it is not the Congress but the BJP which is now the main rival to TRS.
READ OUR EXPLAINED HERE
Results have been declared for 23 seats. The TRS has so far won 11 seats, and leading in 57 other, followed by the AIMIM which has won 10 seats, and leading in 33. The BJP and Congress have each secured 1 seat so far.
Results have been declared for five seats in the GHMC elections. Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM has won Talabchanchalam, Mehdipatnam, Santoshnagar, and Doodhbowli, while the TRS has won Ramachandrapuram.
TRS has claimed victory in 8 divisions so far- Yousufguda, Ramachandrapuram, Mettuguda, Borabanda, Balanagar, Sanathnagar, Bharathinagar, Hydernagar
On December 1, when Hyderabad voted in the GHMC polls, the voter turnout increased from 30 per cent at 4 pm to 46.55 per cent at 6 pm. Questing the jump, Telangana BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay today said, "A comprehensive judicial inquiry should be held into the exceptional increase in the polling percentage in the last hour. Details of how polling was recorded in more than 90 per cent of places must be disclosed."
Here's the latest trends released by top Telugu channels: ETV says BJP is leading in 39 seats, TRS in 36, AIMIM in 14 and Congress in 3. NTV says TRS is up in 70 seats, AIMIM in 45, BJP in 30 and Congress in 3. TV9 says TRS leads in 57 seats, AIMIM in 31, BJP in 22 and Congress in 3.
Trends are indicating that the high-pitched campaign of the BJP, which generated a lot of political heat and, may not have translated into votes for the party. The BJP was leading in 25 seats towards the end of second round of counting at 2 pm. Postal ballots, which were opened first, indicated early leads for the saffron party, but the TRS jumped into the lead during the first round of counting of ballots.
- Sreenivas Janyala reports from Hyderabad
The AIMIM says its candidates have won from 10 divisions, including Dabeerpura, Ramnaspura, Doodhbowli, Kishanbagh, Nawab, Sahab Kunta, Barkas, Pattergatti, Puranapoo, Riyastnagar and Ahmed nagar.
According to the TRS, its candidate Rajkumar Patel has won from Yousufguda division, and Rasuri Sunitha has won from Mettuguda division.
Meanwhile, Congress says its candidate Sirisha Reddy has won the A S Rao Nagar seat.
At 1.30 pm, ETV reported the BJP was leading in 24 seats, while the TRS is up in 18 seats. It said Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) was leading in 10 seats and the Congress in three. NTV, on the other hand, said TRS was ahead in 57 seats, AIMIM in 30, the BJP in 25 and Congress in two. TV9, meanwhile, said TRS was leading in 59 seats, AIMIM in 27, the BJP in 26 and Congress in two.
The Telangana High Court on Friday kept in abeyance the latest order of the Telangana State Election Commission that allowed counting of ballot papers with distinguishing markings instead of the arrow cross-mark rubber stamp as valid votes. It, however, allowed counting of votes to continue.
On Thursday, Secretary of SEC M Ashok Kumar clarified "if the intention of the voter is clear on marking to a particular candidate, that vote can be treated as a valid vote to the candidate since it is the mistake of the polling personnel under rule 51(h) of Conduct of Election Rules, 2005.
The results of those divisions where the ballots with such distinguish markers cannot impact final results can be announced, the court said, directing the SEC to not declare results where the ballots with distinguished markers are in majority. The court passed this order in the house motion moved by the BJP and posted the matter for further hearing on Monday. Read more here
Actress-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar, who recently joined the BJP, claims the BJP's performance in Hyderabad shows the party has found its foothold in south India. She tweets: "We have found our foothold n making a deep impact in South India. Victory in Hyderabad is a proof to that. And let me assure you, #TN is not far. #2021elections we will make a grand entry into TN. Continue to believe in @narendramodi ji and his clean govt."
The latest trends show the BJP leading in 85 of the 150 seats, according to ETV. The ruling TRS is up in 29 seats, while Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM leads in 17, and the Congress in two.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri says the trends emerging from Hyderabad indicate a "change in popular mood" and "shape of things to come". Taking to Twitter, he says: "Early trends emerging from Hyderabad indicate a change in popular mood & shape of things to come. Policies of transformative development are hard to beat & always triumph over hollow populism & fake narrative."
While campaigning for the GHMC polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the Bhagyalakshmi temple. And Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, campaigning in Hyderabad, made a pitch for renaming the city as Bhagyanagar, which BJP leaders claim used to be its name earlier. "Some people were asking me if Hyderabad can be renamed as Bhagyanagar. I said — why not?" he said.
Shah is the latest in a line of BJP leaders who have visited the Bhagyalakshmi temple over the last several days. Some BJP leaders claim the temple derives its name from Bhagyanagar. So, what is the Bhagyalakshmi temple? Watch:
Y. Satya Kumar, the National Secretary of the BJP, tweets: As the initial trends have suggested, BJP has set its place as a dominant force in the state and is now ready to give TRS a run for its money. The regime of TRS has its days numbered..."
The results of the election to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation assumes political significance as 24 Assembly segmants fall under its limits. With Telangana due for state elections in 2023, these polls act as a precursor. The TRS is hoping to retain control -- it had won 99 seats in the 2016 polls. The BJP, on the other hand, is hoping to consolidate its position in the state. The party barely has a presence in south India, except in Karnataka, and hopes to make a mark in Telangana with these elections.
Explained | What's at stake for the TRS and BJP in the GHMC polls?
The transformation has started in the state of Telangana. You have seen Lok Sabha election results, then Dubbaka by-election and now GHMC. Let us wait till the evening, but it is clear message to TRS that people want change," Telangana BJP MP D Arvind tells ANI.
Earlier in the day, Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha told the agency: "We are expecting to win over 100 seats. Although many big leaders from BJP came to campaign and made many false claims, I'm happy that people of Hyderabad did not believe in them and reposed their faith in KCR's leadership."
Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar inspects counting centers.
(Source: Cyberabad Police PRO)
The BJP has taken an early lead in the GHMC elections, leading in 51 of the 150 seats, according to ETV. The ruling TRS is up in 20 seats, while Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM leads in eight, and the Congress in three.
Telangana reported 631 fresh cases of Covid-19 and two deaths due to the disease on December 3. Since March 2, the state has recorded a total of 272,123 cases and reported a recovery rate of 96.21 per cent. Presently, as many as 8,826 persons are deemed active for the viral infection and undergoing treatment. Of them, 6,817 persons are in home quarantine or institutional isolation. The case-fatality ratio stands at 0.53 per cent.
Fearing a second wave of Covid-19 in the state, following the high-intensity GHMC polls, the Director of Public Health Dr. G Srinivasa Rao had advised all those party workers, leaders, and their supporters involved in electioneering to undergo self-isolation for a week and get tested for the viral infection if they displayed symptoms. Dropping temperatures and large gatherings noticed at festivals and weddings are adding to the department's concern.
(Source: GHMC PRO)
Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar told reporters that three-level security arrangements are in place at all the counting centers with the deployment of CRPF, city armed reserve police, and city civil police personnel. He said an Assistant Commissioner of Police will be on duty at each center and an additional DCP each for three counting centers. The police have also set up a police outpost, a control room, and a media point near each center.
The Commissioners of Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda police jurisdictions have appealed to all political parties to not take out victory rallies for 48-hours after the counting of votes is completed.
On December 1, a low voter turnout of 46.55 per cent was recorded in the GHMC polls. However, this was better than 2016, when the civic body polls recorded 45.71 per cent votes. In 2009, the voter turnout was just 42.04 per cent. Owing to discrepancies in the ballot papers where the party symbol of a CPI candidate was found incorrectly printed as that of CPM, re-polling was ordered in old Malakpet. The repolling was held on December 3, and 38.46 percent of votes were polled here.
A total of 1,122 candidates are in the fray for the 150 divisions of the civic body's council. The TRS is contesting all 150 divisions, whereas BJP has fielded its candidates in 149 seats. The Congress party has given its party tickets to 146 candidates, and the AIMIM has put up its candidates in 51 divisions. While TRS is confident of securing the Mayor's seat with a thumping majority, the BJP has promised to upset TRS by winning 100 of 150 seats.
In 2016, the TRS had won 99 of the total 150 seats. AIMIM followed by winning 44 seats, leaving the BJP, Congress, and TDP with four, two and one seats, respectively.
As many as 8,152 personnel, and 31 counting observers, are deployed for the day. The entire counting process will be recorded and monitored via CCTV cameras at each table. All the counting agents and officials are directed to wear a mask while on the job, and sanitizers are kept available at every table. No cell phones are allowed inside.
For counting of votes, each hall has been provided with 14 tables. A returning officer and an assistant returning officer will oversee the process in each hall. And each round of counting will tally for 14,000 votes. The process will begin with counting of 1926 postal votes before opening ballot boxes.
The counting of votes polled in the election to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is underway. After days of high-pitched election campaigning, about 46.55 percent of voters had exercised their franchise on December 1.
Despite what was believed to be a close contest between the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti(TRS), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen(AIMIM), and the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), which is keen to mark its emergence ahead of state assembly polls in 2023, the official figures suggest that nearly 40 lakh voters did not participate in the election. Who will govern the local body will be clear by late Friday afternoon.
The GHMC polls were conducted with ballot papers due to the pandemic. The Telangana State Election Commission decided to opt for the same after speaking to major political parties, and the health department over safety of voters and poll officials.
The counting of votes will begin shortly at 8 am. Elaborate arrangements have been made in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to PTI, counting will be held at 30 centres, with 8,152 personnel engaged in the process. The results are expected to be declared by this evening or by night.
Good morning and welcome to our live blog. The results of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections will be announced today. Voting for the same took place on Tuesday, December 1. Follow this blog through the day for the latest news and updates. The counting of votes will begin at 8 am. Here are a couple of pictures from voting day (AP Photos):