Hyderabad: Political heat set to peak with poll notifications soon

Hyderabad: Political heat in Telangana will soon witness a new peak as the Election Commission is likely to issue notification for two MLC seats, Hyderabad – Rangareddy- Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda-Warangal- Khammam Graduate Constituencies and Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly byelections by the third week of February.

It is learnt that the polls for these seats will be held in April. This will be followed by a notification for the municipal elections for seven urban local bodies.

The State government and State Election Commissioner (SEC) have begun the official process of the delimitation of wards and preparation of voter lists for the conduct of elections to Warangal and Khammam Municipal Corporations and also for five other municipalities, including Siddipet, Achchampet, Nakirekal, Jadcherla and Kottur Urban Local Bodies (ULB). In anticipation, all the major parties -- TRS, BJP and Congress -- have already started holding rallies, dharana and meetings focussing on local issues.

Meanwhile, sources said that the schedule for the delimitation of wards in all poll-bound municipalities has been finalised and the State Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department would likely to announce the same on Thursday. Necessary guidelines for the ward delimitation were already sent to the Commissioners of the respective Municipalities. The government is planning to wind up the entire official exercise on the delimitation of wards by early March so that the conduct of the elections can be completed by April end.

As per the schedule for the wards delimitation, the local municipal authorities would prepare a draft delimitation of the wards and seek clarifications, suggestions and objections from the people and the political parties. The respective District Collectors have been given powers to approve the ward delimitations.

It may be mentioned here that the number of wards is likely to be increased in Warangal, Khammam and Siddipet by 20 per cent as the government decided to finalise the total number of wards based on the total voters in each urban body. The five-year term of the current executive body in Warangal and Khammam would end on March 14 and Siddipet municipal body's term would be end on April 15. The remaining four poll-bound municipalities are going for the elections first time. The SEC would take up the task of publication of electoral rolls before the finalisation of reservation of the wards. Soon after the reservations are finalised, the state election commission would announce the poll notification.