SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Hyderabad: With ward-level results declared in the Telangana municipal elections, the political battle has now shifted to the decisive second stage — the indirect election of chairpersons and mayors, where ex officio members could tilt the balance in closely contested municipalities and corporations.
Indirect elections on Feb 16
The State Election Commission (SEC) will conduct the indirect elections on February 16. In several civic bodies where no single party has secured a clear majority, the votes of ex officio members — including MLAs, MPs and MLCs — are expected to prove crucial.
SEC issues clarification on voting rights
However, the SEC has issued a clarification restricting who can exercise such voting rights. In a circular dated February 13, the Commission, citing a judgment of the Telangana High Court from 2021, clarified that only certain categories of representatives are eligible to be co-opted as ex officio members and vote in the indirect elections.
As per the clarification, Lok Sabha MPs and MLAs can be ex officio members only if they represent constituencies that wholly or partly comprise the municipal area concerned. Rajya Sabha MPs and MLCs, who do not have defined territorial constituencies, are eligible only if they are registered as voters within the municipal area. Any member not fulfilling these criteria would not be entitled to vote, and any such vote cast would be considered null and void.
EC clarification narrows race
The circular has significant political implications. In previous municipal elections, parties strategically deployed Rajya Sabha MPs and MLCs to neighbouring municipalities and key corporations to bolster numbers. The fresh clarification narrows that scope by mandating voter registration within the specific municipal limits.
Ex officio members enjoy voting rights equal to elected ward councillors and corporators during the election of chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, mayors and deputy mayors. Their role becomes decisive when parties are separated by just one or two wards, opening the door to intense political manoeuvring.
With corporations such as Khammam, Warangal, Nizamabad and Karimnagar emerging as politically significant, parties are expected to carefully allocate eligible ex officio members strictly based on numerical requirements.
Congress holds upperhand
At present, the Congress appears to have an upper hand numerically, with around 65 MLAs, eight Lok Sabha MPs, three Rajya Sabha MPs and nearly two dozen additional members, including defected MLAs and MLCs.
The BRS has around 27 MLAs, about half a dozen active MLCs (though officially 20), four Rajya Sabha MPs and no Lok Sabha representation.
AIMIM factor in Greater Hyderabad
The BJP has eight MLAs, eight Lok Sabha MPs and three MLCs. AIMIM, with nine members, is also expected to be a factor in Greater Hyderabad, where its MLAs and MP fall within the GHMC limits.
In tightly fought urban bodies, the arithmetic of eligible ex officio votes, rather than ward tallies alone, may ultimately determine who occupies the mayoral and chairperson posts.
SOURCE : SIASAT
