The formation the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) council this month is unlikely, though the counting of votes is scheduled for May 12, with uncertainty prevailing over the status of ‘ex-officio’ members.
According to the procedure, elections to the Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts are conducted within a week after the poll results are announced and the new corporators elect the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor through an indirect election. The MLAs and MPs, who are the ex-officio members of the VMC, have voting rights. But this time, it will be deferred until the general election results are announced and subsequent formalities are completed, sources say.
Counting and announcement of results of Assembly and Lok Sabha polls is scheduled for May 16.
The Assemblies of both States will be formed after June 2 on which the State will be split officially and the ex-officio members will be named. The peculiar situation has cropped up this time owing to the brief gap between the elections to the Assembly and VMC Council, say the officials.
Poll to the VMC was held on March 30 and counting of votes was scheduled for April 2 before it was postponed to May 12 following court’s direction.
The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation has been under the rule of special officers for over three-and-a-half years now.
