HC declines to stay ex-officio members voting rights

Hyderabad, Dec 1: Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday declined to order a stay on a petition for voting rights to ex-officio members in the election of mayor and deputy mayor post for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.The court rejected a public interest litigation plea filed by Lok Satta Party seeking disqualification of  ex-officio members voting in the mayor and deputy mayor for GHMC elections and this ensured voting rights to ex-officio members in the mayoral elections.Following this development,Election Commissioner S P Singh informed the ex-officio members such as MPs, MLAs and MLCs that the polling would be held at 11 a.m. on Dec 4.As per the GHMC Act, 60 ex-officio members have the voting rights in the Corporation whereas the total number of elected members is 150.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad Collector Navin Mittal who is the designated officer to conduct the Mayor poll, sent notices to the newly elected 150 corporators and ex-officio members to take part in the first meeting of GHMC’s elected council to be conducted as Jubilee Hall, Public Gardens on Dec 4.The Congress, which won 52 seats in the GHMC Council, is wooing four independents to its side.Two of the independents are Congress rebels and winning them over should not be a difficult task for the party.

However, it seems an uphill task for the Congress to win the Mayor seat without the support of MIM or the ex-officio members. The MIM has 43 members and the TDP 45.The TDP is keen on sabotaging the Congress gameplan to grab the Mayor post. It is also preparing to gain the support of MIM though it was a rival, along with Congress, in the GHMC elections. On its part, the MIM has asserted that it was clearly eyeing the Mayor’s seat.