The merger of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) into the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) would address a majority of the challenges faced by citizens, opines the informed electorate of the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly constituency, but the alternative viewpoint is that the poor will never be favoured, regardless of the circumstances.
Secunderabad Cantonment is one of the 15 constituencies in Hyderabad, forming an integral part of the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency has a total of 2.5 lakh voters, with over half falling within the age range of 30 to 49 years. Breaking down the voter demographics by age, there are 2,171 individuals aged between 18 and 19 years, 29,347 in their 20s, and the highest number, 70,295, in their 30s. The male voter count stands at 1,24,245, while the number of female voters is 1,22,315, with an additional seven identifying as the third gender.
Mohammad Sadiq, a long-time resident and rickshaw puller from Sikh Village, expresses his 50-year connection to the locality. Supporting a family of nine, including children and grandchildren, he and his son serve as the breadwinners. Despite casting his vote annually in the hope that his chosen candidate would bring about a positive change in his life, Sadiq laments his current situation. Having plied his rickshaw for a decade, he highlights the stark decline in income — from ₹800-1,000 per day a few years ago to a meagre ₹300-500 now due to reduced demand.
