( 1 ) THE Judgment of the Court was delivered by these are three writ petitions arising out of the same election process in different stages in respect of the elections to the Vijayawada Municipality. Vijayawada is one of the important towns in the State of Andhra Pradesh. After the Indian Constitution came into force, the wards of that Municipality were re-distributed to bring them in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution and elections were held in 1952 when Vijayawada was in the Madras State. On 1st october, 1953, the Andhra State was inaugurated and, in the ordinary course, elections should have been held to the Municipal Council in 1955. But the government extended its life along with that of other Municipal Councils in the State till july, 1956. Thereafter, on 5th May, 1956, after following the prescribed formalities, the Government effected a re-distribution of the wards in the Vijayawada Municipality for the purpose of holding the next elections. On 22nd June, 1956, for reasons which we need not particularise, the Vijayawada Municipal Council was superseded for a period of one year. The period of supersession was extended for another six months