Karthika Reddy Resigns As GHMC Mayor

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Mayor Bandaru Karthika Chandra Reddy on Monday tendered her resignation from the post.

Karthika Reddy handed over her resignation letter to GHMC Commissioner M T Krishna Babu at 3pm, paving the way for the election of a new GHMC Mayor.

The resignation will now be placed before the GHMC's General Council, which is scheduled to meet on 17 December, for acceptance.

Later, talking to reporters, a visibly upset Karthika Reddy expressed satisfaction over her 2-year tenure as GHMC Mayor.

She said that the GHMC's Standing Committee had passed 951 resolutions to take up developmental works worth Rs. 1,400 crore in the GHMC limits.

She said that about Rs. 122 crore have been spent for the construction of 1,312 CC and BT roads.

As many as 49 traffic junctions were upgraded and 40,000 Self Help Groups were formed, at a cost of Rs. 300 crore, she added.

She said that the plastic ban, and the construction of night shelters, a Mahila Bhavan, road under-bridges and a sports complex were among her other achievements during her tenure.

Karthika Reddy had resigned to honour the power-sharing pact between Congress and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, wherein the Mayor's post will be occupied by the MIM candidate while the Deputy Mayor's post will go to the Congress.

Sources say that Deputy Mayor Jaffer Hussain Meraj will submit his resignation on 16 Dec to facilitate the election of a Congress candidate to the post.

Once the GHMC council accepts the Mayor's resignation, the State Election Commission will announce the schedule for the election of a new GHMC Mayor.

The Hyderabad District Collector will be the Returning Officer for the Mayor's election.

Reacting to the Mayor's resignation, the Telugu Desam Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party said that Karthika Reddy did not make any significant contribution to the city's development during her 2-year tenure.

TDP GHMC floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy said that Karthika Reddy has failed to get adequate funds from the state and the central governments for the city's development.

BJP floor leader Bangaru Prakash said that several initiatives that the Mayor quotes as her achievement have failed to see the light of the day. (INN)