Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court will hear the GHMC delimitation petition on April 30, after warning state authorities over repeated delays in filing their response.
During the previous hearing on April 22, the court took note of the delay and imposed a cost of ₹5,000. It also made it clear that any late counter-affidavit would be accepted only after payment to the Telangana Legal Services Authority. Moreover, the bench granted a final opportunity to the State to respond.
The petition, filed by Advocate Muzaffer Ullah Khan and argued by Advocate Barkat Ali Khan, challenges the ward delimitation process for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections. The case raises concerns over the legality of the exercise and its impact on upcoming civic polls.
Advocate Barkat Ali Khan told the court that respondent No.5 had taken contradictory positions. He argued that one submission said delimitation could happen only after the 2026 Census. However, another submission claimed the process had already been completed under a 2025 government order.
GHMC delimitation petition highlights conflicting government stand
The petitioner argued that the delimitation violated provisions under the Hyderabad Municipal Corporations Act, 1955. He also expressed concern that authorities may conduct elections based on flawed ward boundaries.
The division bench noted that the State had failed to file its counter-affidavit despite several chances since September 1, 2025. Although respondent No.5 submitted a reply, respondent No.6 had not filed any response so far.
The Assistant Government Pleader for respondent No.6 sought more time, stating he had recently received the case. The court allowed time until April 28. However, it warned that failure to comply would require the Principal Secretary to appear in person.
Meanwhile, the petitioner filed an interlocutory application seeking ward-wise delimitation data. He also requested time to submit objections. In addition, he urged the court to restrain authorities from issuing any GHMC election notification until the case concludes.
The court will now review compliance and consider further steps during the next hearing of the GHMC delimitation petition on April 30.
