In a major relief to the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the Supreme Court has put the ball in the Maharashtra State Election Commission’s (SEC) court on conducting elections to the 20 municipal corporations, 25 zilla parishads and 210 nagar parishads after completion of the ongoing pre poll process. The apex court has asked the SEC to complete the pre poll process which is expected by July. This means the elections to the urban bodies and local bodies are expected only in October and November. By this time, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government expects the compilation of crucial empirical data of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) which is one of the triple tests mandated by the apex court for the restoration of 27% political reservation to OBCs in urban and local bodies in the state. Already a special dedicated commission on OBCs headed by former chief secretary Jayant Banthia has launched region wise meetings and compilation of empirical data of OBCs.
MVA partners and opposition are of the firm view that the elections should not be held in the absence of the OBC quota which was scrapped by the apex court in the past. A veteran NCP minister and Samata Parishad founder Chhagan Bhujbal hinted that the civic and local body elections will be held in October-November.
Supreme Court on Tuesday on a special application filed by SEC observed that it can hold elections to local and civic bodies in districts from Marathwada and Vidarbha with less rainfall as it does not have to wait till October and November but in districts from Konkan region with high rainfall the polls can be held after the monsoon is over.
Further, the apex court asked the SEC to complete the pre poll process comprising ward formation, reservation for SC, ST and women and division of voter lists for 2,486 local bodies. A senior SEC officer told the Free Press Journal, ‘’The apex court has asked to complete the process and decide the poll schedule taking into account region, district and local body wise monsoon situation.’’ The SEC today submitted that it has already resumed the pre poll process which came to a halt on March 10 after the state government passed two laws taking away SEC’s power of delimitation of wards and fixing of poll schedule.
The officer recalled that SEC in the special application filed on May 11 had said the process will be complete by July. Further, SEC had pleaded that it should be allowed to issue an election schedule in September, as conducting elections in July and August will not be possible as the administrative machinery will be busy with flood control, mitigation and disaster management works. Additionally, the SEC had pleaded that it be allowed to hold elections to the urban local bodies in October and for rural local bodies in November.
Published on: Tuesday, May 17, 2022, 07:59 PM IST