The Allahabad High Court has restrained Ghaziabad's municipal commissioner from performing the duties of the mayor.
To evade fresh election and to conduct all business regularly, the Uttar Pradesh government had issued a notification on August 27, in which the state authorised the municipal commissioner to carry out all duties of the mayor, after the death of incumbent Teluram Kamboj on August 9.
In its order, the high court said the state notification was meant as a "stop-gap arrangement" if the mayor was ill or was unable to attend office due to some other circumstances, but the state misused the provisions.
The court also directed the state government to conduct mayoral election within 40 days of the notification as prescribed in the rules.
