Nizam Club election delay triggers power tussle, court order cited
HYDERABAD: The Nizam Club has plunged into a power struggle after its elections were deferred by more than four months, only the second such delay in the club’s 140-year history, triggering administrative paralysis and deep divisions among members.
The standoff has split the influential membership, which includes politicians, senior bureaucrats, business leaders and members of the erstwhile royal family, amid allegations of procedural lapses and competing interpretations of the club’s by-laws.
EGM chaos stalls governance reforms
The crisis traces back to an extraordinary general meeting convened in June, 2025 to vote on governance reforms, which was adjourned amid disorder. Members said the agenda included limiting leadership tenures to four years and barring former presidents from contesting lower posts.
“With nearly 600 members present, a secret ballot was the only practical option, but the secretary and his supporters insisted on a show of hands,” said Prasad Reddy, a businessman and member for over 43 years. “Amid the ruckus, the meeting was adjourned and the resolutions were never put to vote.”
Tenure dispute lands in court
After the aborted EGM, a group of members moved court, alleging that honorary secretary Amarendar Reddy continued in office for nearly four months after his tenure ended on September 24, 2025.
Reddy denied wrongdoing, saying his actions were permitted under the by-laws. “Elections are held every alternate year. Since elections are still due, I am permitted to function on an election-to-election basis. This is a procedural delay, not an intentional act,” he told media.
Opponents, however, cited a recent civil court order that held the by-laws did not allow an outgoing secretary to continue if elections were not conducted. The order said that under Rule 26, the joint secretary was authorised to represent the club in the absence of a duly elected general secretary.
Operations hit as impasse deepens
Members alleged that routine functioning suffered during the impasse. Zafar Javeed, the club’s current president, said the secretary continued to take administrative decisions, sign cheques and reject member-requisitioned meetings after his tenure ended.
A requisition signed by over 200 members seeking another EGM was rejected, he alleged, worsening the stalemate. Vendors reportedly stopped supplies, while banks temporarily restricted transactions due to the absence of updated authorised signatories.
Founded in 1884 on land gifted by Mehboob Ali Pasha, the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, the club has over 6,200 members, including senior civil servants inducted under special categories and corporate members such as State Bank of India and NMDC. Members also flagged declining infrastructure. “Large sums are spent every year, but the results are disappointing,” said Ashfaq Ahmed, a businessman.
