The Hindu 10.06.2010
GHMC standing committee elected
Special Correspondent
HYDERABAD: GHMC chose its first 15-member standing committee only after high political drama and cross-voting by corporators here on Wednesday. Mayor B. Kartika Reddy will be the chairperson of the panel elected for one year by all 150 corporators in a secret ballot.
All the members belong to the ruling combine of Congress and its ally, the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) on the ration of 8:7. The 15 elected are:
Harivardhan Reddy (Cong) Habsiguda division, B. Subashini (Cong) Gaddiannaram, V. Jagadeeshwar (Cong) Hafizpet, G. Sridevi (Cong) Nallakunta, Mir Zulfeqar Ali (MIM) Hussainialam, Adam Uma Devi (Cong) Boudhanagar, G. Shankar Yadav (Cong) Begum Bazar.
Md. Mubeen (MIM) Ramnaspur, Aruna (MIM) Karwan, B. Bharati (Cong) Banjara Hills, Mohd. Nazeeruddin (MIM) Jambagh, Mohd. Majid Hussain (MIM) Ahmednagar, Syed Minhajuddin (MIM) Akbarbagh, K.Kiranmayi (Cong) Ramgopalpet & Mohd. Wajahat Ali Khan (MIM) Talab Chanchalam.
Thus, the new committee has an erstwhile Mayor in Mr. Zulfeqar Ali the mid-80s and this year’s Mayoral aspirants like Mr. Harivardhan Reddy, Mrs. Uma Devi and Mr. Jagadeeshwar. But, the election was not without its share of excitement preceded by the threat of resignation by Congress MLA B. Raji Reddy.
Many corporators were said to be unhappy with the list prepared by Ministers M. Mukesh, D. Nagender and the Mayor. Phone lines from other Ministers and even the Chief Minister’s Office went buzzing before the final nominees were chosen minutes after the election began at 10 a.m.
Cross voting
Five BJP and TD corporators as well as the lone MBT member were absent and three votes were declared invalid as each corporator was to poll a maximum of 15 votes. Cross voting was apparent as most Congress corporators elected polled more than 100 votes when the Congress-MIM combine had 97 votes. Whereas only one MIM corporator polled 97 and the rest had to be happy with having polled vote or two less.
Congress corporators Mrs. Bharati and Mrs. Kiranmayi polled 95 and 93 votes, respectively, indicating that their nominations did not find favour with all their party corporators.
