Published Feb 20, 2026 | 4:34 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 20, 2026 | 4:34 PM
The Telangana government said the trifurcation was for administrative purpose.
Synopsis: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar lashed out at the Congress-led state government, alleging that the trifurcation was politically motivated. He claimed that the restructuring would ultimately benefit the AIMIM, which has significant influence in parts of Hyderabad’s Old City and adjoining areas.
The trifurcation of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has triggered political sparring, even as the Telangana High Court stepped in to examine the validity of the Congress-led government’s action.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin issued notices to the central and state governments on Thursday, 19 February, in a writ petition challenging the Government Order (GO), Ms No. 55.
The GO, issued on 11 February, formally reorganised the expanded GHMC into three separate civic bodies: a truncated GHMC, the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) and the Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC).
The move came barely two months after the GHMC’s jurisdiction was significantly expanded. In December 2025, the State government merged 27 peripheral municipalities and surrounding areas into the GHMC, increasing its geographical spread to 2,053 square kilometres.
Officials argued that the expansion aimed at bringing uniform urban governance and streamlining infrastructure planning across the fast-growing Hyderabad metropolitan region.
However, within weeks, the government opted for trifurcation, citing administrative efficiency and the need for decentralised governance. Officials said the creation of smaller municipal corporations would enable focused service delivery, improved tax collection, better urban planning and quicker grievance redressal.
The reorganisation was also projected as a response to Hyderabad’s rapid urban sprawl and the mounting pressure on civic infrastructure.
Senior IAS officers have been appointed to head the three corporations. RV Karnan has been posted as Commissioner of the GHMC, G Srijana as Commissioner of the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation, and T Vinay Krishna Reddy as Commissioner of the Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation.
To facilitate a smooth transition, the GHMC earmarked ₹500 crore each as initial funding for CMC and MMC. A special task force under the Centre for Good Governance has been entrusted with the distribution of assets, liabilities, employees and ongoing projects among the three bodies.
The legal challenge to GO Ms. No. 55 was filed by D Guruva Reddy in Writ Petition No. 4891 of 2026. The petitioner contended that the reorganisation violated provisions of the Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990.
The argument was based on a directive issued by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, which froze jurisdictional boundaries of administrative units until the completion of Census operations.
As per the Census schedule, house-listing operations were to be conducted from 1 April to 30 September 2026, with 1 March 2027 as the reference date.
The petitioner argued that altering municipal boundaries during this period would create administrative and statistical confusion, potentially affecting population data collection and policy planning.
Taking note of these submissions, the High Court directed the Additional Solicitor General and the Advocate General of Telangana to file detailed counter-affidavits within three weeks.
The petitioner was granted one additional week thereafter to file a rejoinder. The matter has been adjourned for further hearing.
While the legal process was unfolding, political reactions have been swift and sharp.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar lashed out at the Congress-led state government, alleging that the trifurcation was politically motivated. He claimed that the restructuring would ultimately benefit the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which has significant influence in parts of Hyderabad’s Old City and adjoining areas.
Sanjay alleged that the Congress and AIMIM shared a tacit understanding aimed at consolidating minority vote banks and sidelining the BJP. He further linked the decision to recent electoral contests, including developments in the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation, where he accused the Congress of resorting to “backroom deals” to prevent a BJP victory.
Describing the trifurcation as “dirty politics,” Sanjay also dragged the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) into the debate, alleging that an alignment among Congress, BRS and AIMIM was at play in Telangana’s urban local body politics.
He warned that arbitrary restructuring of municipal boundaries without any consensus could undermine democratic mandates.
The State government, however, maintained that the move was purely administrative.
Senior officials argued that Hyderabad’s rapid expansion — particularly in IT corridors, suburban residential layouts and industrial clusters — necessitated a more responsive governance structure. They emphasised that large municipal bodies often struggled with coordination, leading to delays in project implementation and inefficiencies in service delivery.
The outcome of the High Court proceedings could have significant implications. If the court stays or quashes the trifurcation, it may force the government to revisit its urban restructuring plans.
On the other hand, if the move is upheld, Telangana could emerge as one of the few states to substantially decentralise the administration of its capital city region.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
