Himanta Biswa Sarma proposes symbol-less election for panchayats and municipalities

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma proposed symbol less election to Panchayats and Municipalities.

Sarma said, “The civic polls will be held shortly in Assam. There is less time for symbol less election now though I wanted this election to be held without a party's symbol. In Panchayat polls I want to explore if we can have elections sans political parties symbols like Gujarat and Maharashtra. Let there be debate on this and it will require amendment in the act and discussion with political parties”.

Assam has a system where political parties nominate their candidates for these elections.

Sarma said, “There are several people who want to contest these polls. However, they do not want to get attached to any party to contest these polls. In Assam we used to have symbol-less elections and however an amendment was brought in 1999 or 2001.”

Sarma on Monday said that 762 Personal Security Officers (PSOs) who were attached to politicians and other personalities in the state have been withdrawn. On January 1 this year the chief minister had made an appeal to give up PSO.

A total of around 2,000 PSOs are expected to be withdrawn in the days to come, and “this will help us in getting two new battalions”, he said.