BJP GHMC corporators try to storm Pragathi Bhavan, demand Mayor election

Several newly-elected corporators of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stormed Pragathi Bhavan in Hyderabad, which is the office of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, protesting against the delay in the formation of the new GHMC council. Mild tension prevailed as the police guarding the premises were taken by surprise after the corporators of the BJP, including women corporators, attempted to enter the premises. 

The newly-elected BJP corporators were protesting against the delay in the formation of the GHMC council, alleging that despite the municipal elections being announced over a month ago, the TRS government is “deliberately” delaying the formation of the council. The corporators demanded that the council be formed and that the Mayor for Hyderabad be elected at the earliest.

The BJP corporators rushed towards the gates of the Pragathi Bhavan and attempted to storm inside. However, the police deployed at the spot managed to block the protesting corporators from coming inside. The protesting corporators were stopped at the entrance of Pragathi Bhavan and then detained by the police deployed at the spot. Security has also been heightened after the incident. 

The corporators raised slogans against the K Chandrashekar Rao-government and demanded that the Chief Minister immediately form the new GHMC council. 

According to reports, the protest briefly caused a traffic snarl in the area.

The elections to the 150 seats in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation were held on December 1. The TRS, which had swept the polls in 2015, managed to win only 56 seats this time around, just short of the required numbers to get the Mayor and Deputy Mayor post on its own. The BJP had gained major ground in Hyderabad, going from 4 seats in 2015 to 48 seats in 2020. While the AIMIM won 44 seats, Congress got only 2 seats.

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