Gurgaon Municipal Corporation to Conduct Deputy Mayor Elections Within Eight Weeks
The Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that elections for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor will be held within eight weeks, starting from March 5. This announcement comes in response to a petition filed by Gurgaon resident and advocate Rohit Madan, who sought judicial intervention to fill these positions, which have remained vacant for nearly a year.
Judicial Scrutiny and Legal Framework
During a hearing before a division bench comprising Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi and Justice Vikas Suri, MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya confirmed the timeline for the elections. The development is significant as the MCG House was constituted on March 12, 2025, and the delay in filling these key posts had raised concerns about governance and legal compliance.
Section 36(2) of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, mandates that the municipal corporation elect two of its elected members to serve as senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. Their term is set for five years or the remainder of their tenure as elected members, whichever is shorter. The absence of these deputies has also cast doubt on the legality of the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC), as per Section 40(3) of the Act, which requires the committee to include the senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.
Previous Attempts and Political Context
An earlier attempt to hold elections for these posts on August 11 was postponed indefinitely after councillors failed to reach a consensus on candidates. This occurred during a session where MCG and the Manesar Municipal Corporation (MCM) were electing members to their F&CC. Currently, the MCG's F&CC comprises Mayor Raj Rani Malhotra, councillors Anup Singh (ward 25) and Sundar Singh (ward 1), and Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya, but it lacks the legally required deputy mayors.
In the MCG House, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds a majority, having secured 24 out of 36 seats in the March 2025 civic body polls. Ten independent candidates won seats, while the Congress and JJP each obtained one seat. This political landscape may influence the upcoming elections and the selection of candidates for the deputy mayor positions.
High Court's Role and Precedents
The High Court's intervention has been crucial in addressing this issue. In July of the previous year, the court directed the Haryana government to conduct elections for the senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor posts in MCM fairly and within a specified timeframe, preferably within three weeks. This precedent underscores the judiciary's role in ensuring timely governance processes and may have prompted the current action in Gurgaon.
The petition by Rohit Madan brought the delay under judicial scrutiny, highlighting the importance of adhering to statutory timelines to maintain the integrity of municipal functions. With the elections now scheduled, MCG aims to restore full operational capacity and comply with legal requirements, ensuring effective administration in Gurgaon.
