Hyderabad, Feb. 14 -- With ward-level results declared in the Telangana municipal elections, the political battle has now shifted to the decisive second stage - the indirect election of chairpersons and mayors, where ex officio members could tilt the balance in closely contested municipalities and corporations.

Indirect elections on Feb 16

The State Election Commission (SEC) will conduct the indirect elections on February 16. In several civic bodies where no single party has secured a clear majority, the votes of ex officio members - including MLAs, MPs and MLCs - are expected to prove crucial.

SEC issues clarification on voting rights

However, the SEC has issued a clarification restricting who can exercise such voting rights. In a ci...