The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Thursday seized the financial and administrative powers of the Lucknow mayor until she administers the oath to an elected corporator Lalit Kishore Tiwari.
A division bench of Justice Alok Mathur and Justice SQH Rizvi passed this order after hearing a petition filed by Tiwari. The court expressed strong displeasure over the failure to administer the oath of office and secrecy to Tiwari even five months after the election tribunal declared him elected as the corporator. This case relates to Ward No. 73, Faizullahganj, Lucknow.
The court directed in open court that the mayor’s financial and administrative powers shall remain suspended until the corporator, declared elected by the tribunal, is administered the oath.
The court also directed the Lucknow municipal commissioner or the district magistrate, who were present before it, to oversee the work for the time being.
The petitioner stated that the election tribunal declared him elected on December 19, 2025, but he has not yet been sworn in. He also said the former elected member is still discharging his duties.
At the previous hearing on May 13, the high court had stated that if the oath was not administered by the next hearing date, May 21, the Lucknow district magistrate, municipal commissioner and mayor would be required to appear in person and answer.
The district magistrate and the municipal commissioner appeared in person on Thursday. The court reprimanded these officers for not administering the oath to the elected corporator.
The matter has now been listed for further hearing on May 29. Former BJP corporator Pradeep Kumar Shukla had filed a special leave petition before the Supreme Court but the plea was dismissed on May 20 after his counsel sought permission to withdraw it.
In the election to Ward Number 73, BJP candidate Pradeep Kumar Shukla had secured 4,972 votes, while SP candidate Lalit Tiwari alias Lalit Kishore Tiwari, who is now also general secretary of the Oudh Bar Association, got 3,298 votes. In its order, the election tribunal held that Shukla had failed to furnish mandatory information in the election papers, which amounted to misconduct, rendering his election liable to be set aside.
(With PTI inputs)
