GHMC polls: BJP ahead in postal ballots

The BJP was leading over its rivalsin postal ballots which were taken up first in the counting of votes on Friday in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections. The BJP is leading in around 80 wards while the ruling TRS is ahead in around 20. However, the party lead position would be known as the votes cast in the ballot boxes are counted. Ballot papers were used in the election to the 150- ward city civic body on December 1.

The counting of votes began at 8 AM with postal ballots being counted first. The results are expected to be known in the evening. The polling percentage in the election was an unimpressive 46.55. Out of the 74.67 lakh voters, 34.50 lakh electors exercised their franchise.

While the ruling TRS fielded candidates in all the 150 wards, the BJP did so in 149 wards. The Congress, AIMIM and TDP fielded candidates in 146, 51 and 106 wards respectively.

With BJP leading as per the initial trends, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that ”policies of transformative development are hard to beat.” ”Early trends emerging from Hyderabad indicate a change in popular mood & shape of things to come,” he said. ”Policies of transformative development are hard to beat & always triumph over hollow populism & fake narrative,” he said in a tweet.

The party’s National General Secretary (Organisation), B L Santhosh lauded the Telangana BJP unit saying ”you made a mark.” ”WELDONE BHAGYANAGAR ……!!!! Great going team @BJP4Telangana You made a mark,” he tweeted. He further said the party’s state unit was up against ”a deadly mix of communal, money & manipulative politics.” ”With this, Team @bandisanjay_bjp (State BJP chief) have put up a great fight,” he said.