Greater Hyderabad municipal polls: TRS emerges as largest party, but may see 40% drop in tally

Telangana's ruling TRS party emerged as the largest party as votes were counted today in the high-stakes Hyderabad municipal election, but its victory was dimmed by the BJP's massive surge after an exceptionally high-voltage and divisive campaign.

The BJP is set to take second place in a close fight with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM.

The complete results of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls may be announced only later in the evening.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samiti may see a 40 per cent drop in its tally from the 2016 polls, conceding at least 30 seats to the BJP. The BJP, with nothing to lose, made big gains at the cost of the ruling party in an area where it was almost non-existent so far.

According to the latest leads, the TRS may end up with less than 60 of 150 municipal seats or wards. The BJP may cross 40, with the AIMIM hovering close.

"The result is not what we expected. We fell short by 20-25 seats than our expectations. 10-12 seats saw a margin of less than 200 votes. There's nothing to be disappointed, we will be single largest party," Telangana minister KT Rama Rao was quoted as saying.

The TRS has saved face but the loss of nearly 40 per cent of its municipal seats is not a good sign for the ruling party. The AIMIM may retain its 40 plus seats, which is not unexpected, given the polarised campaign.