HYDERABAD: Justice P Naveen Rao of the Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday heard arguments on a batch of writ petitions which challenged the notifications issued for conducting elections to the Kakinada Municipal Corporation in East Godavari district.The judge noted that the issue of court’s interference after the release of election notification had to be examined in detail.
He was dealing with a batch of petitions which contended that the law mandates that a municipal corporation should have a minimum of 50 wards if elections are to be conducted.
But, by virtue of the orders in other cases, three villages were removed from the corporation limits and elections are being held in just 48 wards which is not legal, the petitioners argued.
Further, they contended that the notification for fixing the geographical boundaries and so on was not properly published.
Besides violating the rules, the impugned GO fixing the wards and reserving them was illegal. Based on such a GO, the election notification was issued recently. In fact, the authorities issued the notification in a hurry to escape contempt proceedings, they said. The arguments will continue on Thursday.