The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) passed a budget of Rs 8,440 crore for the financial year 2025 on January 30, amid strong protests by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) corporators. The budget session was marked by heated exchanges, disruptions, and mass suspensions. The Mayor has suspended all the 40 Opposition party Corporators.
As Mayor Vijayalaxmi Gadwal introduced the budget, corporators from both the BRS and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded a discussion on various public issues. However, when the Mayor refused to entertain their demands, BRS members staged protests, by reportedly holding placards and marching towards the podium.
The BRS corporators repeatedly objected to the budget being passed without discussion, accusing the Congress-led state government of neglecting Hyderabad’s development. In response, the Mayor invoked Section 89(1) of the GHMC Act to suspend all 40 BRS corporators for alleged misconduct and directed marshals to escort them out of the meeting hall.
The BRS has strongly criticised the Congress government, claiming that Hyderabad’s civic infrastructure and development projects have suffered due to the lack of financial support from the state.
Among the protesting members, four corporators—V Sindhu, C Vijaya Shanthi, Vijay Kumar Goud, and Padma Venkat Reddy—were detained by the police for allegedly throwing papers at the Mayor. They were released after the meeting concluded. Amid the tense proceedings, Congress and BRS corporators reportedly engaged in physical altercations, shoving members of the rival party.
Reacting to the suspensions, BRS Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) condemned the move, stating that his party members were merely questioning the lack of funds allocated to Hyderabad under the new state government.
“Will you silence our representatives for thwarting the Congress’ fraud of merely changing the numbers on the same pieces of paper as last year, without spending the budget funds allocated last year?” KTR said.