Thursday, February 04, 2016

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Elections 2016 'Exit Polls' Sees 'Big Win' For Ruling Telalngana Party

By LIKHAVEER | INNLIVE

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) appears set to be daubed in pink with all exit polls giving the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti a majority in the civic polls held on February 2, 2016.

Two news channels and INNLIVE were almost unanimous in giving a clear majority to TRS in the 150-member council as they predicted that the ruling party would win around 80 seats.

While the TV9 exit poll indicated that the TRS would win 78 to 82 seats, the survey commissioned by TV5 gave chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's party 77 divisions.

In another exit poll, rating agency AARRA predicted that the TRS would win 81-85 seats.

If the results turn out to be true, then it would be a huge gain for the TRS, since that party had not even contested the 2009 civic polls. From no representation in the council to winning the mayor's post would highlight the successful journey of the pink party riding high on the popularity of KCR.

Contestants are keeping their fingers crossed as the ballots are going to be counted on February 5, when the fate of 1,333 candidates will be decided.

Summarizing the findings of all surveys, IT minister K Taraka Rama Rao, who led the poll campaign for the TRS, said his party would win would anywhere between 75 and 85 seats.

“Seven different organizations, including two TV channels, have conducted exit polls. All of them are indicating that the TRS would win a clear majority . It is going to be between 75 and 85 divisions,“ a jubilant Rama Rao said at a media conference he addressed after the polling ended at 5 pm.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslime en (MIM), which had 43 corporators in the previous council is likely to win around 40 seats. While TV9 gave the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party 35-40 seats, TV5 predicted that the Majlist party would get 41 divisions.

The BJP-TDP alliance which fielded candidates in all 150 divisions is likely to get less than 33 seats. TV9 gave the alliance 28 to 33 seats, while TV5 said it would win 24 divisions. The TDP and BJP together had 50 corporators in the last council which expired on December 3, 2014.

On the other hand, AARRA predicted that MIM is likely to get 32-37 seats, while the BJP-TDP combine may able to to win 25-30 divisions. The Congress may have to satisfy for just anywhere between three and seven corporators.

The big loser, however, is going to be the Congress. The party , which had 55 corporators and shared power with the MIM, is likely to be reduced to a single di git as exit polls predicted that the Congress would get less than 10 seats. According to TV9, the Congress will win 8-10 divisions. And TV5 gave the party just seven wards.

Earlier in the day, the polling held between 7 am and 5 pm ended by and large peacefully, barring sporadic incidents including clashes between workers of MIM and Congress, which resulted in police detaining MIM MLA Ahmad Pasha Qadri and Congress candidate from Puranapul division Mohammed Ghouse.

Telangana Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior Congress leader Mohamad Ali Shabbir were attacked by the MIM activists.

“The incident shows how undemocratic the MIM is. While the elections were not free and fair, we demand that a re-polling must be held for the Puranapul division,“ said an angry Uttam Kumar Reddy . All India Majlise-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), which had 43 corporators in the previous council is likely to win around 40 seats. While TV9 gave the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party 35-40 seats, TV5 predicted that the Majlist party would get 41divisions.

The BJP-TDP alliance which fielded candidates in all 150 divisions is likely to get less than 33 seats. TV9 gave the alliance 28 to 33 seats, while TV5 said it would win 24 divisions.The TDP and BJP together had 50 corporators in the last council which expired on December 3, 2014. On the other hand, AARRA predicted that MIM is likely to get 32-37 seats, while the BJP-TDP combine may able to to win 25-30 divisions.

The Congress may have to satisfy for just anywhere between three and seven corporators. The big loser, however, is going to be the Congress. The party , which had 55 corporators and shared power with the MIM, is likely to be reduced to a single digit as exit polls predicted that the Congress would get less than 10 seats. According to TV9, the Congress will win 8-10 divisions. And TV5 gave the party just seven wards.

Earlier in the day , the polling held between 7 am and 5 pm ended by and large peacefully, barring sporadic incidents including clashes between workers of MIM and Congress, which resulted in police detaining MIM MLA Ahmad Pasha Qadri and Congress candidate from Puranapul di vision Mohammed Ghouse.

Telangana Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior Congress leader Mohamad Ali Shabbir were attacked by the MIM activists. “The incident shows how undemocratic the MIM is.While the elections were not free and fair, we demand that a re-polling must be held for the Puranapul division,“ said an angry Uttam Kumar Reddy .

In another incident, the MIM workers allegedly attacked the residence of deputy chief minister Mahmad Mahmood Ali in Malakpet and gheraoed his son. In Uppuguda, a vehicle in which the TRS polling agent was moving around, was attacked. Instances of deletion of names from voters' list were reported from across all divisions. Inclusion of actor Salman Khan's name in the voters' list in Gowlipura division just added to the comedy of errors.

Over 1,400 voters of Hastinapura division boycotted the elections on the ground that the voters' list was flawed. GHMC commissioner B Janaradana Reddy , however, claimed that the polling was peaceful.

Refusing to order any repoll on Puranapul, he said the incident took place outside the polling station.“The incident did not take place within the 100 metre radius around the polling station,“ Janardana Reddy said at a press conference.“We will take a call based on the report,“ he added. He sa id over 45 per cent voters cast their ballots on Tuesday .

Citing the much lower turnout of 42.9 per cent in 2009 elections, the commissioner said he was happy with the polling day turnout. “It is a challenge to deal with the lethargic urban voters. But, we have done our best,“ he added. Out of 7,802 polling stations, live web casting was done at 2,900 booths. Eight EVMs were found to be faulty before they were set right by the authorities.

Expressing his disappointment over the low voter turn o ut, Rama Rao said the TRS would have won much more seats if the percentage was more.

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