Mayor, Deputy Mayor elections in Hyderabad to be held before Feb 10

Elections to the posts of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be held before February 10 during the first meeting of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, which will be conducted following publication of the elected members gazette after January 10.

As per the GHMC Act, the first meeting after general elections of Municipal Corporation has to be held within a month of the publication of names of elected candidates in the gazette by the State Election Commission.

According to a senior official from the State Election Commission, from the date of first meeting, the five year-term of the new body will commence. Accordingly, if the names of the elected members are published in the gazette before January 10, 2021, the first meeting is to be held before February 10. It will be during this meeting that the



elections to the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be conducted.

Consequently, the existing body will be dissolved and the new body will commence its term. As per the rules, the existing body cannot be dissolved before the expiry of its five year-term, the official said.

The SEC had notified elections to GHMC before expiry of its term on November 17 and the results were declared on December 4. The GHMC Act stipulates that elections to GHMC shall be held within three months before expiry of its term. As per the provisions, the five year-term of the existing elected body of GHMC cannot be curtailed and it shall continue till February 10, 2021.

The last Ordinary elections to GHMC were held in January and February 2016. Its five year-term commenced from February 11, 2016 and will expire on February 10, 2021.