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."