The huge mandate for the TRS ensures it a vice-like grip over the administration of the GHMC, and its candidates were elected Mayor and Deputy Mayor unopposed.
After its resounding victory in the recent GHMC elections, it was just a formality for the ruling TRS to ensure that its nominees were installed as Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, one of the biggest municipal corporations in the country.
In the just-concluded GHMC elections, the first after the formation of a separate Telangana, the TRS bagged 99 of the 150 divisions in the corporation, while the MIM came second with 44 seats. The BJP, which contested in alliance with TDP, has won only four divisions. However, the biggest drubbing was inflicted upon the Congress and the TDP which managed to win just two divisions and one division respectively.
The huge mandate for the TRS ensures it a vice-like grip over the administration of the corporation, as also the Mayor and Deputy Mayor positions.
Sure enough, both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were unanimously elected at today's meeting of the newly-elected corporators, their first. The name of Bonthu Rammohan, elected from the Charlapally division, was proposed by Venkateshwara Colony Corporator Manne Kavitha for Mayor, and seconded by Meerpet Corporator Anjaiah. Since there was no other contestant for the Mayor's post, Hyderabad Collector Rahul Bojja, who was the Presiding Officer, declared Rammohan as unanimously elected, amidst a thumping of desks by the pink brigade.
Later, when the Presiding Officer called for candidates for election to the position of Deputy Mayor, the name of Baba Fasiuddin, elected as Corporator from the Borabanda division, was proposed by Ameerpet Corporator Seshukumari and seconded by Ramnagar Corporator Srinivas Reddy. Since there was no other candidate in the fray here either, Faisuddin was declared elected unanimously as Deputy Mayor.
Though there was speculation about the names of Rammohan and Fasiuddin for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, TRS leader and Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K Taraka Rama Rao officially declared their names for the posts at a breakfast meeting hosted for all the newly-elected corportators in TRS Bhavan.
Before the Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections, the newly-elected members of the corporation were first administered their oaths in batches. The members took their oath in English, Telugu, Urdu and Hindi. The GHMC council hall was decked up for the occasion, and the TRS members sporting pink scarves added colour to the event.
Besides the newly-elected corporators, the ex-officio members comprising of MPs, MLAs and MLCs, numbering 69, were also present.
After their unopposed elections, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor shook hands with KTR, also the architect of the resounding victory of the TRS. They also went around and exchanged pleasantries with other corporators. The minister then treated all the members to a high tea.
Addressing the corporators, KTR reiterated that they should all strive to uphold the trust and confidence reposed by the citizens in them and relentlessly work to resolve the civic issues confronting them. The corporators then proceeded to the GHMC council hall in a special bus.
Later, Rammohan and Fasiuddin called on Chief Minister K CHandrashekar Rao at his camp office. They profusely thanked the TRS supremo for giving them the top posts in the GHMC.
Rammohan, from the Warangal district, hails from a middle class family, and is the only son of Bonthu Venkataiah and Kamalamma. He has two sisters. After graduating in law from the district, Rammohan completed an MA and then an LLM from Osmania Univrsity. He is married to Sridevi of Ameerpet, and the couple have two daughters.
Though Rammohan was earlier associated with ABVP, he joined the TRS and assumed charge as president of the youth wing of the Party in 2002. Since then he had been serving as a loyal soldier of KCR, and stood by him throughout the Telangana movement.