Nagpur: Following persistent demands by political parties, the State Election Commission (SEC) has deferred the elections to 92 Municipal Councils and four Nagar Panchayats in the State, against the background of the hearing in the Supreme Court regarding the local self-governing bodies’ polls. The SEC had announced these elections on July 8.
The Supreme Court hearing was held on July 12, in which the State Government submitted the Dedicated Commission’s report on citizens’ backward class. Now, the next hearing is scheduled on July 19. Hence, the SEC has deferred the elections to municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats. As such, the Model Code of Conduct will not be in effect in respective areas. The revised programme of elections shall be issued later, SEC stated on Thursday.
Notably, a BJP delegation had recently met the SEC with a plea not to hold local body elections announced on August 4 and 18 and demanded that they should be conducted after the monsoon. The elections were announced sans OBC quota. The delegation’s meeting took place a day before the Supreme Court to hear the petitions on the restoration of the OBC quota in local bodies which was scrapped earlier.
Due to heavy rains and floods in some parts of the state, transportation and communication have been severely impacted. In such a situation, the State Election Commission should postpone the elections in 92 Municipal Councils, 4 Nagar Panchayats and 15 Gram Panchayats, demanded the State BJP President Chandrakant Patil who led a delegation that met the State Election Commissioner UPS Madan.
This is the rainy season. Currently, the state is experiencing heavy rains in some places. This will make it difficult for political parties to file nominations, campaign and get voters to vote. Therefore, we requested the Commission to postpone this election schedule, said Patil, adding that Madan has agreed to a city-wise review. He said the Supreme Court had ruled that rainfall should be taken into account when announcing local body elections.
