98 municipal body chairs, 297 council chiefs maybe declared invalid:Two council presidents lose financial powers due to missing govt notification

The financial powers of the presidents of municipalities and municipal councils of Madhya Pradesh are at risk of being declared void. These presidents were elected after the 2022 elections and thereafter, and the government had not issued notification of their election. So far, financial powers of presidents of 2 bodies – Sheopur and Pansemal have been declared void. The Dabra case is in court. After hearing these cases that reached the High Court, the court has not considered such presidents as duly elected and has ordered to transfer their financial powers to CMO or SDM. Going forward, the position of 98 municipality and 297 municipal council presidents including Dabra municipality is under threat. According to legal experts, as complaints come in, the financial powers of these presidents will continue to be declared void. Note that there are a total of 99 municipalities and 298 municipal councils in the state. Why Financial Powers Were Declared Null Actually, during former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s tenure, the matter of giving 27 percent reservation to OBCs in local body elections reached the Supreme Court. After this, on the Supreme Court’s orders, the State Election Commission hastily conducted municipal corporation and panchayat elections. At that time, while municipal corporation elections were conducted directly by the public, municipal council and municipality presidents were elected by councilors instead of the public. Notably, after the elections, notifications were duly issued declaring the winners and losers for mayors and councilors of municipal corporations, municipalities and municipal councils. While the notification for presidents elected from municipal corporation and municipal council councilors was not issued by the state government’s Urban Development and Housing Department. Revelation from Pansemal President post of Indore district High Court advocate Brahmamurti Tiwari says that the nullification of financial powers of municipal council and municipality presidents began with the dispute over the president’s post of Pansemal Municipal Council in Indore. An opposing councilor had filed a complaint in the ADJ court of district court against the president here. When the court asked for information from the government, the government could not give the correct answer. On this, the ADJ court ordered that the financial powers of the municipal council president do not exist as there is no notification from the administration. When an appeal was made in the High Court against this, a response was sought from the Urban Development Department there as well. No response was given because the government had not issued the notification. On this, the ADJ court’s order was upheld. Sheopur Municipality President Barred from Working The Gwalior bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court, comprising Justice Anand Pathak and Justice Pushpendra Yadav’s division bench, has issued an order dismissing the state government’s writ appeal in the case related to the Sheopur Municipality President. This case is connected to the election of the chairperson of Sheopur Municipal Council. Challenging this position’s election, an individual named Sumer Singh had filed an election petition in the district court. During the hearing, the single bench issued an interim order restraining Municipal President Renu Garg from functioning as the president. The state government had filed a writ appeal in the High Court’s Division Bench against this order. It was argued on behalf of the state that the order given by the single judge is wrong. A separate notification in the gazette is not required for the election of the chairman position. Meanwhile, the petitioner’s side argued that no candidate can be declared elected without a gazette notification and in such a case, functioning as chairman is against the rules. After hearing arguments from both sides, the High Court Division Bench said that a writ appeal cannot be filed against an interim order given in civil revision. On this basis, the state government’s appeal was dismissed. Dabra Municipality President asked about basis of appointment The Gwalior bench of High Court has issued notice in the matter of Dabra Municipality President Laxmi Bai’s position in Gwalior district. The entire matter stems from a Right to Information (RTI) application. Petitioner Satyendra Kumar Dubey had asked the administration in December 2025 whether any government notification (gazette notification) was issued regarding the election or assumption of office of the Municipality President. In response on January 5, 2026, the Municipal Council stated in writing that there is no document or certified copy of any such notification in their records. After this, the petitioner filed a writ petition in the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution. The petition challenges the legitimacy of the chairman’s position by raising questions about it. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the court accepted the petition on January 19 and issued a notice asking Laxmibai on what documents her appointment was based. Direct elections for presidents not conducted According to officials of Urban Development and Housing Department – this situation has arisen because during the 2022 municipal elections, direct elections were not held for the posts of Municipality and Municipal Council Presidents. All these elections were held through indirect system meaning the councilors elected the Municipal Council and Municipality Presidents. No notification was issued for this by the state government or state election commission. This was due to the government’s decision that elections would be held through indirect system. However, all the councilors who elected the Municipal Council and Municipality Presidents are elected and their councilor positions have been notified. Because of this, in cases of several municipalities, after complaints, the court has declared financial powers of those holding these positions as null since the election of Municipal and Municipal Council Presidents was not notified. According to officials, this mistake has now been corrected and in the upcoming 2027 elections, the municipal council and municipal corporation president elections will again be held through direct system i.e. through public voting and its notification will be issued. This change was made in September 2025. Elections to be held in 2027 Elections for municipal council, municipal corporation and municipal council councilors, presidents and municipal corporation mayor posts are now to be held in 2027. Now that there is more than a year and a quarter left for the elections, the opposition is quickly seeking court shelter to declare the municipal council and municipal council presidents who won in the 2022 elections as financially powerless.