The Hyderabad Local Bodies MLC election has taken an unexpected turn. While Congress and BRS are staying away from the contest, BJP has surprisingly fielded a candidate. Just when everyone expected MIM candidate Mirza Riyaz Ul Hassan FMD to win unopposed due to having the most votes, the saffron party’s entry has completely changed the scenario.
Among the total 110 voters in this constituency, MIM has the strongest position with 48 supporters including ex-officio members. BRS has 26 votes, BJP has 22, and Congress holds 14. The electoral math initially favored an unopposed MIM victory, especially with Congress and BRS distancing themselves.
BJP unexpectedly entered the race with candidate Gautam Rao, claiming Congress and BRS were secretly collaborating to hand over the seat to MIM. Union Minister Bandi Sanjay has expressed confidence in their victory, appealing to Congress and BRS voters to vote according to their conscience.
The BJP has framed this contest as a battle between “patriots and anti-nationals,” accusing both Congress and BRS of being willing to spend “thousands of crores” to support MIM. They’ve alleged these parties are united in opposing BJP.
The May 23rd election will now be closely watched as questions remain about how Congress and BRS voters might align and whether MIM’s expected easy victory will now require significant effort.
