Rajasthan: SEC decision today on municipal and panchayat polls

JAIPUR: The state election commission (SEC) may take a decision on polls to 129 urban local bodies and remaining panchayati raj bodies on Friday. The health department has submitted a report on the Covid-19 situation in the state to the SEC. “The meeting, which will be attended by local self-government (LSG), panchayati raj, police and health and home departments, will discuss the future course of action as far as elections to the remaining panchayati raj bodies and municipalities are concerned against the backdrop of the Covid situation in the state,” said deputy secretary Ashok Kumar Jain.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the state election commission to complete the remaining panchayat elections by October 15. The bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde gave the order on an application by the state election commission. Elections to 3,859 village panchayats, 352 panchayat samitis and 33 zilla parishads are pending.
The court had earlier asked the state election commission to hold the polls in April, but were postponed due to Covid. The elections to the 129 urban local bodies are scheduled to be held in August.