Mayor Majid's term ends in 2 months

HYDERABAD: Will Congress take over the reins of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) or allow the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) to continue to hold the mayor post for one more year? With just one-and-half months left for Mohd Majid Hussain to complete his two-year term as mayor, Congress and MIM corporators are eagerly waiting for the decision of their respective parties.They hope their parties would clear the air on sharing power for the remaining period of the GHMC term by the end of this month as the election process for mayor and deputy mayor posts requires at least a month.
The Congress and MIM have been sharing power and posts in the corporation since the 2009 civic elections. The Congress has 52 elected corporators, while the MIM has 43, TDP 45 and BJP six.
As part of the post election-deal, the mayor post should be held by the Congress and MIM nominees for two years each and the last year would again go to the Congress, while the other party would hold the deputy mayor post. Congress candidate Banda Karthika Reddy was mayor for two years (2009-2011), while MIM's Mohd Majid Hussain has been holding the post for the past 22 months and his two-year term will end on January 4, 2014.
Sources said MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi is waiting for the Congress' decision and has reportedly sounded Majid Hussain to be ready to demit office on January 4. Top leaders of the Congress, who are busy with the state bifurcation issue, have not been able to concentrate on the mayor post, but nearly half-a-dozen corporators began lobbying to bag the coveted post.
Some Congress leaders are worried that the party might allow Majid Hussain to complete the term to woo the MIM to its fold as it requires the support of the party in the current state bifurcation scenario.
"Though the MIM announced withdrawal of support to the Congress governments both at the Centre and state a year ago, the two parties did not stop sharing power and posts in the GHMC. The city Congress leaders, including ministers Danam Nagender and M Mukesh Goud, have been maintaining good relations with the MIM in view of coming assembly and general elections," a senior city Congress leader said.
The MIM might not be averse to continuing in the post as assembly elections are due in April, 2014 and GHMC polls in November 2014. "Our party has taken a decision to take up developmental activities on a massive scale in one year as 2014 is an election year and crucial for any party," an MIM corporator said.