The Indian Express                09.12.2013

GMC mayor’s term ends, to hold office till November 13

A piquant situation has arisen with regard to a new mayor for the
Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC). The term of incumbent
Mahendrasinh Rana ended on Thursday, but an order of the Gujarat High
Court has banned election of a new mayor till November 13. Speaking to
The Indian Express, Rana said that as there was a judicial ban on
election of a new mayor, the incumbent mayor would be holding office
till a new mayor was elected.

“The High Court has ordered a ban on the election of a new mayor
till November 13 and hence, I will be in office till November 13 or till
further orders of the court,” Rana said. He added that he would step
down as soon as a new mayor was elected.

Rana was a Congressman when the newly formed GMC faced its first
elections in April 2011. In a house of 33 seats, Congress had won 18
seats, against 15 by the BJP. This was the second municipal corporation
in control of the Congress after Junagadh and Rana was elected the first
mayor.

GMC commissioner Lalit Padalia, when questioned about the
stalemate, said: “We have the court orders not to elect a new mayor
until November 13. We will go as per court orders and till then the
incumbent mayor will continue.”