Common Judgment

Moushumi Bhattacharya, J.

1. The Writ Appeals have been filed challenging a Common Order dated 17.12.2025 passed by a learned Single Judge of this Court in W.P.Nos.38812, 38825, 38840 and 38895 of 2025.

2. The Writ Petitions were filed challenging a Preliminary Gazette Notification dated 09.12.2025 with regard to the Delimitation of Wards in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (‘GHMC’). The essence of the Preliminary Gazette Notification was that the area of the GHMC has been divided into 300 Election Wards as per the boundary description given by way of a tabulated statement in the impugned Notification. The writ petitioners also sought for stay of all further proceedings pursuant to the Preliminary Gazette Notification for delimitation of Wards in GHMC pending disposal of the Writ Petitions.

3. The learned Single Judge expressed the view that the writ petitioners had not been provided with sufficient information for raising objections to the Preliminary Gazette Notification. The lack of information included figures with respect to the natural boundaries, geographical features, contiguity of the area and the population of the Wards as well as authenticated maps. Accordingly, the learned Single Judge passed the impugned Common Order directing the State respondents (the appellants herein) to place the Ward-wise population details and the map of the proposed GHMC with 300 Wards in the public domain within 24 hours. The writ petitioners were given liberty to file their additional objections within two days after the information was made available to public. The Writ Petitions were made returnable on 05.01.2026.

4. We have heard the learned Advocate General appearing for the appellants/The State of Telangana and The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and learned Senior Counsel appearing for two of the Writ Petitioners/respondents.

5. We wish to clarify that only two Writ Appeals have been filed from the impugned Common Order.

6. Given the paucity of time in considering the merits of the allegations and counter allegations and upon the submissions made on behalf of the parties, this Court deems it fit to limit the impugned Common Order only to the two Wards which form the subject matter of the present Appeals, namely Ward Nos.104 and 134.

7. The Court is informed that the Writ Petitions were filed at the behest of four individuals from four different Wards. Hence, this Court deems it fit to direct the appellants to publish the information, as directed by the learned Single Judge, within 10:00 A.M. tomorrow i.e., on 20.12.2025.

8. The two writ petitioners in W.P.Nos.38812 and 38840 of 2025 who are party respondents in the present Appeals shall have 48 hours thereafter to raise their objections as per Rule 8 of The Telangana Municipal Corporations (Delimitation of Wards) Rules, 1996.

9. We do not want to express any further opinion on the merits of the matters and deem it fit to give full liberty to the learned Single Judge to decide the pending Writ Petitions.

10. Needless to say, this order will be restricted to the two Wards mentioned by the learned Advocate General.

11. W.A.Nos.1479 and 1480 of 2025, along with all connected applications, are accordingly disposed of in terms of the above. There shall be no order as to costs.