The Telangana High Court has made it clear that authorities must follow the procedure laid down by a division bench on the composition of ex-officio members in municipalities and their participation in the election of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons.
The court was hearing a petition by Kathi Narender, who alleged that the Nirmal district collector and other officials were seeking options from MPs, MLAs and MLCs to choose municipalities of their preference for being treated as ex-officio members, contrary to binding judicial directions.
Counsel Chinnolla Naresh Reddy pointed out that a division bench, in Writ Petition No. 20262 of 2021, had clarified that only Lok Sabha MPs and MLAs representing constituencies wholly or partly within municipal limits, Rajya Sabha MPs and MLCs registered as voters in the concerned municipality, and committee chairpersons who are registered electors there, are entitled to act as ex-officio members with voting rights.
The bench had also held that persons not meeting the criteria cannot be members or vote in the election of chairperson or vice-chairperson, and that any nomination or vote by an ineligible person would be void.