Hyderabad: Telangana BJP leaders on Thursday alleged GHMC expansion manipulation, accusing the state government of redrawing municipal ward boundaries to favour the AIMIM and influence future elections.
The leaders submitted a detailed 21-point representation to GHMC commissioner R.V. Karnan. They said the delimitation exercise weakened voter representation and lacked transparency. According to the BJP, the process skewed electoral outcomes instead of strengthening local governance.
The party said the government followed gerrymandering practices. It explained that such methods redraw boundaries to benefit a political group. These tactics either “pack” opposition voters into a few wards or “crack” them across several wards to dilute their impact.
BJP leaders also criticised the short objection window. They said authorities gave residents only seven days to raise concerns. The party argued that such a brief period was inadequate for a large civic exercise.
BJP flags transparency gaps in GHMC expansion manipulation
The BJP pointed out that the government merged 27 urban local bodies into the GHMC. Soon after, it notified 300 new wards. The party said this sequence showed haste and limited public consultation.
Leaders said officials ignored key civic issues before announcing the expansion. They also claimed authorities did not make delimitation maps accessible. This, they said, prevented residents and political parties from understanding the new boundaries.
The BJP stressed the need for updated Census data and polling figures. It said ward-level clarifications based on Census data were essential. The party quoted its submission, stating that “clarifications on specific ward boundaries based on Census data are necessary.”
Questioning the overall process, the BJP said officials did not publish the report used for delimitation. The party sought updated polling station maps as per Election Commission guidelines. It also asked whether the exercise complied with the Delimitation Rules, 1996.
