Telangana govt releases draft GHMC ward delimitation map, sparks political row

Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Tuesday released a new preliminary map for the delimitation of GHMC wards and immediately triggered criticism about how the plan is allegedly flawed, one-sided and politically motivated towards ‘division theft’.

The reorganisation is a part of a major expansion plan that will extend the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits up to the Outer Ring Road and increase the total number of wards to 300.

The move, however, sparked sharp political criticism across party lines, forcing the special GHMC council meeting to be adjourned amid protests by corporators.

New map unveiled at special GHMC meeting

The preliminary notification on ward delimitation was tabled at a special general body meeting of GHMC, chaired by Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi, at the corporation headquarters.

Officials presented a newly prepared map showing the reorganisation of divisions and distributed copies to corporators and ex officio members.

The meeting was convened to discuss the preliminary delimitation notification issued last week, following the proposed merger of 27 surrounding Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), including municipalities, panchayats and smaller corporations, with GHMC.

GHMC set to become India’s largest municipal body

With the proposed merger, GHMC is set to become the largest municipal corporation in the country in terms of both area and population.

Area: To expand from 650 sq km to 2,050 sq km.

Population: To rise from 1.12 crore to 1.34 crore.

Number of wards: To double from the existing strength to 300.

GHMC Commissioner RV Karnan informed the council that the expansion would transform GHMC into the Telangana Core Urban Region, enabling unified governance and streamlined civic administration.

Over 3,000 objections received

Karnan said the delimitation exercise was conducted based on a comprehensive study by the Centre for Good Governance (CGG). He revealed that over 3,000 objections and suggestions have already been received from the public.

The GHMC chief said that December 17 has been fixed as the last date for submission of objections. The final notification is expected by December 31. The urgency, he said, was due to the decadal Census scheduled for 2026-27.

Five-member panel to scrutinise objections on GHMC ward delimitation

A five-member committee will examine all objections and suggestions received zone-wise on the proposed delimitation of 300 wards in the GHMC, the GHMC chief said.

Elaborating further, Karnan said nearly 30 per cent of the representations pertain to ward boundaries and changes in ward names, while about 15 per cent seek the creation of additional wards and polling stations. The remaining 50 per cent relate to requests for detailed and updated maps of individual wards.

Karnan also said a separate technical committee, headed by the Chief City Planner and comprising Assistant Commissioners of Police (Town Planning), has been constituted to prepare division-wise ward maps.

Mayor’s remarks trigger criticism

During the discussion, Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi made remarks that drew considerable attention, stating that even she was not aware of the details of the ward delimitation process.

Earlier, she described the GHMC expansion as a ‘new era for Hyderabad’, saying it would bring more areas under a single administrative framework, ensure equitable development, improve infrastructure and enhance civic services.

She assured members that all suggestions and objections would be forwarded to the government.

BJP alleges division theft, protests disrupt proceedings

The meeting witnessed disruptions when BJP corporators staged protests opposing the delimitation exercise, alleging ‘division theft’ and claiming that the newly released map was riddled with errors.

Protesters tore copies of the gazette notification and later held a demonstration outside the GHMC headquarters. Following heated exchanges, the Mayor expressed strong displeasure and eventually adjourned the meeting, directing officials to forward all objections to the state government.

Opposition parties raise constitutional, political concerns

Cutting across party lines, several MLAs, MLCs and corporators raised serious objections to the process.

BRS MLA T Srinivas Yadav alleged that delimitation was undertaken without consulting political parties or elected representatives, claiming even the Mayor was kept in the dark.

BRS MLC Dasoju Shravan Kumar termed the notification unconstitutional and violative of the GHMC Act, questioning the authority of the GCC to conduct delimitation.

BRS MLA D Nagender demanded an extension of the objection deadline and questioned the methodology adopted.

AIMIM MLA Ahmed Balala alleged that the delimitation exercise was politically motivated and aimed at weakening AIMIM, demanding transparency on the criteria and data used.

What happens next?

The State government will consider the objections and suggestions received before issuing the final delimitation notification.

Meanwhile, the proposed restructuring of GHMC continues to remain a flashpoint of political contention, even as authorities stress its importance for future urban planning and governance.