Hyderabad: All eyes on GHMC election results

Hyderabad: With a high-octane campaign followed by the completion of the voting process for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections on Thursday, all eyes are now on the counting of votes commencing 8 am on Friday.

Political parties and candidates alike are now waiting with bated breath for the outcome of the elections which saw a short-yet-intense campaign which had the TRS leadership crisscrossing the city with a series of roadshows and the BJP roping in its heavyweights from New Delhi and other States.

In the last GHMC elections in 2016, the TRS made a clean sweep emerging victorious in 99 of the 150 divisions, while the AIMIM won 44 divisions leaving the saffron party with a mere four divisions. The TRS, exuding confidence of increasing its 2016 tally, is comfortably placed to win both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s posts.

Unlike the last civic body polls when electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used, this time around the elections were held with ballot papers. For the counting process on Friday, the authorities have set up 30 centres, and elaborate arrangements have been made for smooth completion of the exercise. Heavy police bandobast has been made with restrictions imposed to ensure that only authorised persons enter the counting centres.

Of the 74,67,256 voters on the electoral rolls for the civic body, 34,50,331 voters exercised their franchise — 46.55%. Meanwhile, the repoll in the old Malakpet division, which was necessitated due to the mismatch of CPI symbol in the ballot paper, was held in 69 polling stations on Thursday. According to officials, till 3 pm, the polling recorded in the division was 30.26 per cent.