Madhavi Latha vs. Asaduddin Owaisi: Who will win Hyderabad’s Lok Sabha constituency showdown?
HYDERABAD: Voters will decide the fate of all seventeen parliamentary seats of Telangana, which are going to polls in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections on May 13, 2024. While the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Congress are vying for dominance in the state, the key contest in Telangana is in Hyderabad.
Promising a gripping showdown, the Hyderabad electoral battle features the most heated high-profile battles between All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Madhvi Latha.
Influencing the electoral dynamics, in addition to AIMIM and BJP, Congress has fielded Mohammad Waliullah Sameer, while BRS has fielded Gaddam Srinivas Yadav as a candidate, despite slim chances of winning.
Earlier, in a surprising turn of events, Amjed Ullah Khan, spokesperson for the Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT), opted out of the electoral race despite his rising prominence against Owaisi. This prevented a division in AIMIM’s vote bank, further heating up the Owaisi-Madhavi Latha poll war.
Madhavi Latha vs Asaduddin Owaisi
Although Hyderabad, with a 59-61% Muslim demographic, has been AIMIM’s stronghold, with Owaisi winning the seat for four terms since 2004, the BJP’s Madhavi Latha’s focused campaign strategy has added layers of intrigue to the electoral landscape.
Despite being a new face in politics, Latha has been making national headlines. Since entering the political landscape, she has been rallying Hindu voters in the constituency and reaching out to members of the Muslim community, especially women. Moreover, appearing in interviews with national news platforms, she has laid focus on the state of Muslim women, Madrasa education, illegal encroachment of temple land, and so on. She has also attacked the Owaisi family for communal radicalisation and the lack of development in the constituency despite their 40 years of rule.
#WATCH | Hyderabad: Madhavi Latha, BJP candidate from Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat says, ” Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi couldn’t solve any issues until now. Here, Muslim girls are married off due to poverty and they’re taken to other countries after marriage, we all know… pic.twitter.com/l3bF5dRTT9
— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2024
On the other hand, Owaisi has challenged the national parties’ track record vis-a-vis minorities, backward castes, and Dalits. He has also raised the issue of political representation and minority rights.
The Hyderabad fight – Who will win?
The road to winning Hyderabad is far from easy for Madhavi Latha, as the Lok Sabha constituency has been an Owaisi family pocket borough. Since 1984, candidates from the Owaisi family or those supported by them have been elected from this seat.
In the 2019 general elections, Owaisi won from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat by a margin of over 2.80 lakh votes, securing more than 5.10 lakh votes with a vote share of roughly 64 per cent.
#WATCH | AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi says, “…We are defeating BJP since 40 years…in 2014 and 2019 PM Modi came but AIMIM won here…I want to ask PM, where is the money for PM care funds, in which bank is the electoral bond money?…unemployment and inflation are… pic.twitter.com/y9eH5fH2cH
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024
While demographics may not be on Latha’s side, in a constituency where voter turnouts are in their 40-50 percentiles, much depends on polling day. Having stirred the pot of Hindutva politics in a battle that has garnered national attention, Latha is expected to reap heavy dividends. Owing to her fiery campaign, the BJP may expect its vote share to receive a bump from its 2019 performance of 27%. The Ram Mandir factor also plays a big role here.
Additionally, the Congress’ Muslim candidate Mohammad Waliullah Sameer could impact Owaisi’s voter base and potentially benefit the BJP.
CM Revanth Reddy reorganizes disaster management for Greater Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has decided to assign critical responsibilities to the Disaster Management Department within Greater Hyderabad. He has directed officials to implement structural changes and redistribute responsibilities accordingly. In a review meeting at the Secretariat on Monday evening, the Chief Minister discussed the reorganization with officials from Municipal Administration, HMDA, and Musi Development.
Expansion of disaster management responsibilities
Recognizing the geographic expansion of Hyderabad, the Chief Minister ordered the Disaster Management Department to extend its jurisdiction to the Outer Ring Road. He suggested including GHMC, 27 surrounding municipalities and corporations, and 33 gram panchayats within its service area. The department will be renamed the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Protection (HYDRA). The Chief Minister proposed appointing a DIG-level officer as the director and SP-level officers as additional directors. He also recommended special teams from GHMC, HMDA, the Water Board, city traffic, and other departments to join this new division.
The Chief Minister emphasized the need for the Disaster Management Department to offer continuous services to city residents, not just during floods or emergencies. HYDRA should actively address all issues faced by Hyderabad’s citizens, including preserving the city’s tanks and ponds, protecting government properties from encroachments, and managing hoardings and flex banners. Additionally, HYDRA will oversee water pipelines, electricity supply lines, drainage, flood management, and traffic control.
Focus on heritage and infrastructure projects
Chief Minister Reddy directed the acceleration of the Musi River Development Project, aiming to elevate Hyderabad’s international reputation. He stressed the importance of working towards the government’s goal of transforming this project into a landmark. He also ordered officials to take necessary actions to restore historical buildings and structures within the city. The GHMC presented a PowerPoint on various heritage sites, such as the City Library, Charminar Ayurvedic Hospital, and Nizamia Observatory etc. The Chief Minister encouraged exploring ways to develop these sites for tourism and integrating feasible ones into the Musi River Development Project.
The Chief Minister instructed Chief Secretary Shantikumar to draft a comprehensive reorganization plan, including staffing, duties, and budget allocations for HYDRA. He also emphasized identifying key areas where the Disaster Management Department can enhance its operations.
The meeting included Chief Secretary Shantikumar, Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development Danakishore, GHMC Commissioner Amrapali, GHMC Vigilance Disaster Management Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, and Hyderabad Water Board MD Ashok Reddy.
