GWMC polls: Politics first, development next

Warangal: Politics apart, it seems there is little that politicos think about. The appointment of Special Officer to Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) probably indicates that the TRS government, which of late experienced setbacks in the hands of the BJP, is in no hurry to conduct the polls for the civic body.

Although the governing rules of the GWMC stipulate to hold elections to the urban local body within three months before the expiry of term, the government, which was sceptical about the outcome, didn't show interest in holding the elections immediately.

According to sources, delaying the election process is a strategic move by the ruling TRS, which does not want to give any advantage to the BJP, especially after the saffron party's fabulous show in Dubbaka Assembly by-poll and GHMC. However, the sources said, if TRS wins the election to the two Graduate council seats that went to polling on March 14, there could be a change of plan.

"Warangal has suffered a lot between 2009 and 2016 on the development front as there was no elected civic body during that period. It doesn't mean that the city had seen a massive development between 2016 and 2021 under the TRS-headed civic body. Despite this, we need an elected body to speed up the ongoing development works," said Forum for Better Warangal president Pulluru Sudhakar. The motive of the government should be 'development first politics next' but unfortunately, we are in the age of its reversal, he said, referring to the alleged political reasons behind the delay of conducting elections to the ULB.

On the other hand, delimitation of divisions in the ULB, which was taken up by the authorities a few days ago, is yet to be completed. The number of divisions in the Greater Warangal is to go up to 66 from the existing 56. The administration was supposed to release the draft copy of the delimitation of divisions on Monday.

When asked about the release of draft of delimitation of divisions, GWMC City Planner M Narasimha Ramulu, in-charge of the delimitation process, said, "We are busy compiling the final copy and it may be released on Tuesday."

BJP Warangal Urban District president Rao Padma said: "The delay in releasing the election notification to the GWMC indicates that the TRS is scary of BJP as it had done nothing for the city in last seven years." She said that the government which conducted elections to the GHMC well ahead is not focusing on GWMC elections for obvious reasons.

Meanwhile, Rajeev Gandhi Hanumanthu, the Urban District Collector, took over as the Special Officer of the GWMC on Monday with the tenure of 2016-elected civic body ending on March 14. The Special Officer has his task cut out as the transition of the GWMC administration was coming at a crucial time with summer already set in and problems such as drinking water supply and several ongoing developmental works under Smart City Mission and other programmes stranded midway.