VAKKALAGADDA RAMYA SWATHI Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Sri P. Veera Reddy, learned Senior Counsel representing Sri V. Venkata Naga Vishnu Teja, learned Counsel for the Writ Petitioners, Sri A. Sreekanth Reddy, learned Government Pleader for Respondent No.1, Sri B. Ramesh, learned Assistant Government Pleader for Respondent Nos.2 & 3, Sri G. Lakshmi Narayana, learned Standing Counsel for Respondent No.4 and Ms. Gandham Papa Kusuma, learned Counsel representing Sri Vijay Mathukumilli, learned Counsel for Respondent No.5.

(2.) The Prayer sought in the present Writ Petition is as under:

(3.) The facts as projected by the Writ Petitioners (23 in number) are that about 23 Ward Members of Markapur Municipality (Respondent No.4) have submitted Form-I (Ex.P.2) by expressing ,,No-confidence against the Chairperson, Markapur Municipal Council (the Council), on 12/5/2025 (Ex.P.2); that, on verifying the signatures of the Signatories in Form-I and having been satisfied about the genuineness, Form-II was issued by Respondent No.2 to all the Members of the Council on 22/5/2025 proposing to convene a Council Meeting at 11:00 a.m. on 11/6/2025 in the Office of the Markapur Municipality (Respondent No.4); that, in this process, the Collector and District Magistrate, Prakasam District (Respondent No.2), had nominated the District Revenue Officer, Ongole (Respondent No.3), as the Presiding Officer to conduct the Meeting of the Municipal Council in accordance with the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1965 (Act, 1965) and the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities (Motion of No-confidence in Chairperson/Vice-Chairperson) Rules, 2008; and that, on the scheduled date, i.e., on 11/6/2025, as there was no sufficient Quorum at 11:00 a.m., the Meeting was adjourned to 3:30 p.m. and was held on the same day as there was sufficient quorum (with 24 members), namely two-thirds of all the members entitled to vote.