Hyderabad: The first GHMC election after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh is going to be held on Tuesday, February 2 2016. This election is a sort of litmus test for all parties. As many as 1,333 candidates are contesting in 150 divisions and their fate will be decided by 74,23,980 voters.

From zero seats in 2009, the TRS is expecting to win more than 80 out of the 150 seats in the upcoming GHMC polls. However, no party has till now crossed the halfway mark on its own. Formed in 2001, the TRS had stayed away from elections in 2003. It had tried its luck in 2009 but had failed to bag a single seat in the municipal elections.

But the TRS was active in employee’s union elections like the city water board (HMWS&SB), GHMC and then APSRTC. TS irrigation minister Harish Rao had spearheaded the party in the employee union elections.

Even in the 2014 Legislative Assembly elections, the TRS secured only two out of the 24 seats in the city – Secunderabad by Minister Mr Padma Rao and Malkajgiri by first timer Mr C. Kanaka Reddy. TRS has strengthened its base in the core city with few city MLA’s drifting to the party, like former Hyderabad mayor Mr T. Krishna Reddy and Kukatpally MLA Mr M. Krishna Rao.

“Hyderabad will turn into a smart city because TRS is looking at developing it on par with global cities. We are confident of winning majority of seats and will emerge as the single largest party. The first mayor will be from the TRS,” says Mr Mynampally Hanumanth Rao, Greater Hyderabad party president. “The party’s agenda is purely development and people’s welfare.”

Meanwhile Seemandhra voters, who form a major chunk in some of the biggest constituencies, are the deciding factor though many MLAs who had won on TD tickets have shifted over to the TRS. The new city and the merged municipalities are home to Seemandhra voters, right from Madhapur to Serilingampally, Gachibowli to Patancheru are strong bases of the Telugu Desam. Almost 30 per cent of the voters are settlers.

The results of the GHMC polls will indicate the TRS standing in the 2019 elections.