SEC Clarification On Municipal Indirect Elections

The State Election Commission (SEC) today issued an important clarification regarding municipal indirect elections.

It spoke about the voting rights of ex-officio members in the elections for Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Municipal Chairperson and Municipal Vice Chairperson.

The Commission stated that in accordance with the Telangana Municipalities Act, 2019, the right to vote was applicable only to Rajya Sabha members, members of the Legislative Council (MLCs), and other ex-officio members who were registered as voters within the concerned municipal jurisdiction.

It said that those not enrolled as voters in the respective municipal area were not eligible to exercise their voting rights.

The clarification follows a recent High Court ruling, which held that ex-officio members who cast their votes without being registered voters in the municipal area would be treated as disqualified and their votes declared invalid.

In view of this, the CEC has issued instructions to district Collectors and district election officers to ensure strict compliance with the guidelines. Accordingly, only those ex-officio members with valid local voter registration, including Members of Parliament (MPs) and MLCs, will be allowed to participate in the elections for the posts of Mayors and Chairpersons.