Gadwal Vijayalakshmi is an Indian politician serving as the current mayor of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) since 11 February 2021. A former American citizen, she emigrated back to India to join politics[3] and went on to become the fifth woman mayor of Hyderabad and the first post formation of the state of Telangana.[4][5]
She emigrated to the United States and obtained a US green card in 1988 following which she got married and settled there. Later, she took American citizenship in 1999.[4][3] While staying in North Carolina, United States Gadwal Vijayalakshmi worked at Duke University, cardiology department as research scholar.[2]
Political career
In the year 2004, she emigrated back to India and eventually left her American citizenship in 2009 to join politics.[9][4][3][10] In 2016 she contested as a corporator from the TRS party and won. In 2020 she contested from Banjara Hillsward as a corporator and won. On 11 February 2021, she was elected as the first woman Mayor after the formation of Telangana state in 2014.[11]
Controversies
Stray dog attack incident
On February 19, 2023, a tragic incident occurred in Hyderabad when a 4-year-old boy was fatally attacked by three stray dogs on a deserted street, with graphic footage circulating on social media.[12] The boy was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.[13]
In response to the incident, as the mayor, Vijayalakshmi held a press conference on February 21,[14] confirming that the dogs involved had previously been sterilized as part of the GHMC's animal birth control program.[15] She suggested that the dogs might have become aggressive due to hunger, as a regular feeder in the area had been absent for two days. Vijayalakshmi emphasized the importance of dog adoption and announced plans to put up 600 dogs for adoption each month.
However, her comments faced backlash, particularly from the Congress party, which demanded her resignation and an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 50 lakh to the victim's family.[16] Additionally, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma criticized the mayor for her response and expressed frustration with the GHMC's handling of the situation.[17] The controversy continued to escalate, with Varma's comments gaining attention on social media.[18]
On March 7, Vijayalakshmi offered a Rs. 9.7 lakh ex-gratia payment to the grieving family of the young victim and reaffirmed efforts to address the issue of stray dogs through awareness programs and control measures.[19]
