Greater power for women

Hyderabad: Gadwal Vijaya Laxmi, a two-time Corporator from the Banjara Hills division and Mothe Srilatha Shoban Reddy from Tarnaka have become the first women Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in Telangana state.

Vijaya Laxmi is from the BC community (Munnurukapu) and is the daughter of TRS Parliamentary Party leader K Keshava Rao. Vijaya Laxmi did BA and LLB. She lived in the US for several years and returned to India in 2007. While in the US, she worked as a research assistant in Duke University, North Carolina. She won from Banjara Hills ward in 2016 and again in December 2020. The process of the election went off without any hitch as the AIMIM decided to support the TRS candidates for the two top posts. Both were elected by a show of hands. It was a colourful event as the BJP corporators came in padayatra to the GHMC hall wearing saffron colour clothes and turbans. Since TRS was the single largest party, there was a sort of pink wave in the hall as the party members came wearing pink scarves around their necks. 

It may be mentioned here that the TRS on its own did not get a majority to elect a mayor and deputy mayor.

They had won in 56 wards in the 150 member GHMC elections held in December. The BJP in a surprise victory had won 48 divisions while the AIMIM had won 44 wards. The BJP strength came down to 47 as one of the elected corporators died soon after the elections.

This had resulted in a situation where the TRS had to fall back on the support of the AIMIM. Till recently, the pink party has been saying that it would prefer special officer's rule rather than go in for any understanding with the Majlis party. The AIMIM on its part said it had the option of abstaining from voting and would take a final call on the day of polling.

However, the TRS it seems offered the post of Deputy Mayor to AIMIM and sought their support. However, the AIMIM did not accept it but decided to support the TRS nominees.

This has invited a lot of criticism from the BJP, and Congress party which has two corporators in Baldia. They said it was an opportunistic act of TRS and their "backhand deal" with MIM has been exposed. The two Congress legislators boycotted the election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

The proceedings of the special meeting began on Thursday with the newly elected Corporators taking the oath of office.