Hyderabad: Baldia polls unlikely in December?

Hyderabad: The nature's fury, which despite best of efforts by the GHMC, police and all other related wings of the administration, could not save the city from turning into sheet of water. The administration had failed to restore normalcy even when there was no rain for three days.

This has now made the government to have re-thinking on whether to hold Baldia elections in December. Party sources are learnt to be of the view that it would be better to allow the city to settle down before a decision on the elections was taken.

The city has suffered very heavy loss of property and some people have died due to the unprecedented rains and flooding. People are angry that the administration had failed to come to their rescue.

They have been giving vent to their anger when public representatives have been visiting the areas. They are making it very clear to leaders of all parties, including MLAs, corporators and Ministers that they don't want sympathy, they want action and relief activities.

Minister for Education Sabitha Indra Reddy had to face the ire of the people in Meerpet on Sunday. In Hayatnagar, upset over the fact that water could not be drained out even after five days of flooding, residents held a protest standing in water. They have been alleging that despite a visit by MLA and corporator, nothing has changed.

Uppal MLA had to face the heat from the residents while he was visiting the flooded colonies in his constituency. His questions like who asked you to construct the house here had added fuel to their anger.

The opposition party leaders have been visiting the affected colonies also could not make their cadre jump into relief activities. All that they had done was visit the colonies and take pot-shots at the government. The daily visits of Minister for Municipal Administration K T Rama Rao to some of the affected areas did have some soothing impact on the residents of those areas but unless action follows, things will not improve.

All this could become a major issue if the elections were held in December, party leaders feel. A senior leader of the party said that election at this moment will give undue advantage to the opposition parties. "There has been criticism on poor drainage system and civic issues on social media," he said.

The party leaders point out that there is a provision in the Act, as per that the SEC should take permission from the government to conduct elections and this amendment was made in the recent one-day Assembly session. The leaders said that if the elections were held after Sankranti, there will be congenial atmosphere.

State Election Commissioner C Parthasarathi, during his visit to Tirumala, had said that elections may be held in November. Same was indicated by TRS working president KT Rama Rao during the recent meeting with the Corporators.

The term of the present body will be ending on February 10, 2021.