IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE N.V. SHRAVAN KUMAR Date: 10.03.2026 Between:

G.Sandhya Rani and Thirteen others … Petitioners And The State of Telangana, Represented by its Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration Department and Four others … Respondents

ORDER

Questioning the action of the respondent No.2, State Election Commission, in not conducting election to the post of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of Kyathanpalli Municipality of Mancherial district forthwith in terms of Rule 6 of the Rules relating to the Telangana Municipalities and Municipal Corporations (Conduct of Election of Chairperson & Vice Chairperson of Municipalities & Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Municipal Corporation Rules 2020, petitioners filed the present writ petition with a consequential prayer to direct the respondent No.2 to immediately conduct elections to the post of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of Kyathanpalli Municipality of Mancherial district.

2. The petitioners are 14 in number being representing by the petitioner No.1, Dr. G.Sandhya Rani, elected councilor of Ward No.17 of Kyathanpalli Municipality, resident of Ramkrishnapur, Area Hospital, Mancherial District.

3. The case of the petitioners, in brief, is that the petitioners are duly elected Ward Members of Kyathanpalli Municipality, in the recently concluded Municipal Elections. The petitioners No.1 to 10 belong to the BRS Party and petitioners No.11 to 14 belong to CPI party. The Kyathanpalli Municipality consists of 22 elected ward members and two ex-officio members. In the recently concluded direct election to the ward members, the BRS party won 10 ward members, CPI party secured 4 ward members, Congress party secured 7 ward members and 1 ward member was won by an independent candidate. BRS party and CPI party have contested the election as an alliance and secured 14 out of 22 wards, constituting an absolute majority as such, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman would also invariably be the candidates supported by BRS and CPI alliance. Two ex-officio members, who have a right to vote in the election to the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson are the local MLA and Member of Parliament who belong to the Congress party. The local MLA is also a Minister in the incumbent Government. It is further submitted that having realized that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman post cannot be won by the Congress party, since it does not have majority, election to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman was sought to be postponed indefinitely in order to influence the ward members by hook or cook.

4. It is further submitted that the official meeting for the election of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman was convened on 16.02.2026 by the respondent No.4, Authorized Officer and Tahsildar, Mandamarri Mandal, Mancherial district, and in order to favour the ruling party candidates, the BRS party and CPI party ward members were obstructed by the Police from reaching the venue of the meeting. On 16.02.2026, when majority members were proceeding to the venue/council hall, Police authorities illegally obstructed and stopped them, thereby preventing lawful participation creating an artificial ground of “law and order”. Accordingly, election for Chairman and Vice-Chairman were postponed to 17.02.2026. On 17.02.2026, all 22 elected Councilors, including BRS party, Congress party, Independent and (CPI party supporting BRS party) candidates, assembled at the Council Hall to participate in the Chairperson election as per the schedule. Accordingly, the respondent No.4 administered oath to all Councilors.

5. It is further submitted that the BRS party councilors, along with their supporters were 14 in number (10 BRS party + 4 CPI party) out of 22 elected councilors, proved and announced their clear majority. The required quorum was present, inasmuch as, more than one half of the number of members of the Municipal Council, who are entitled to vote at the election were present as per Rule 6 of t