TRS' victory was dimmed by the BJP's massive surge
The BJP has given a tough fight to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi in the Hyderabad civic election. Not just by getting 48 wards, up from four, but by getting a vote share just only 0.25 per cent less than TRS.
The difference between the vote shares of the two parties was just 0.25 per cent, or 8,456 votes. The TRS got 35.81 per cent votes while the BJP got 35.56 per cent votes.
The TRS vote share came down from 43.85 per cent in 2016, down 8 per cent to 35.81 per cent, or by 2,64,451 votes.
In the 2016 election, the BJP and the TDP were in an alliance. The BJP candidates polled 10.34 per cent votes.
In this civic election, they contested in 149 wards and got 35.56 per cent votes.
The AIMIM increased its vote share from 15.85 per cent to 18.76 votes. The Congress got only 6.67 per cent votes. The Neredmet division result has not been declared yet.
Though the TRS emerged as the largest party as votes were counted on Friday in the high-stakes Hyderabad municipal election, its victory was dimmed by the BJP's massive surge after an exceptionally high-voltage and divisive contest.
The TRS won 55 of the 150 wards in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election while the BJP got 48 wards and the AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi secured 44. The Congress could win only two wards. Counting of votes had to be stopped in one ward - Neredmet - following a high court order. In the previous election, the TRS scored 99 seats, the AIMIM 44 and the BJP 4.