The elections to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will be held on September 24, State Election Commissioner of Haryana Dalip Singh said on Wednesday. He also announced the schedule for the elections of two municipal committees in Ambala and Yamuna Nagar.
Mr. Singh said the nomination papers for the municipal polls can be filed from September 8 to 13, excluding September 10, and the scrutiny will take place on September 14. The symbols for the contesting candidates will be allotted on September 15 after the 3 p.m. deadline for withdrawal of candidature the same day.
Mr. Singh added that NOTA (None of the Above) option would be available in these elections. Polling booths will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
5.5 lakh voters
More than 5.5 lakh electorate, including 2,65,505 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections to 35 municipal wards. Around 546 polling booths will be set up this time.
In the MCG polls in 2011, 459 polling stations were set up for 35 wards and the number of voters was 4,23,597, including 1,99,814 women. The total poll percentage was 63.3% — male (64.98 %) and female (61.42% ).
Of the 35 wards, 10 are reserved for women candidates and two each for Scheduled Caste (Women) and Backwards Class candidates. Four of the wards are reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates.
With the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect. Mr. Singh added that heavy police force would be deployed to maintain law and order at polling stations and the sensitive and hyper-sensitive areas.
Aadhaar-linked election
Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram Vinay Pratap Singh said that the State Election Commission had deferred its decision to conduct Aadhaar-linked election for one of the municipal wards.
Earlier, the district administration had identified Ward No. 15 for Aadhar-linked municipal election. Mr. Singh told The Hindu that the Aadhaar-linked polls had to be deferred as preparations could not be completed before the August 28 deadline due to the administration remaining pre-occupied with the volatile situation in the State caused by the conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.