Bhubaneswar (SunstarTV Bureau): The way is open for municipal elections. The gazette notification was issued by the law department after the governor approved the amendment to the new municipal election law. Under the amended law, reservation will be limited to a maximum of 50% in municipal elections, just like any other panchayat election. Under the new reservation law, preparations for the panchayat elections are underway, and on the other hand, the state politics is in full swing.
According to statement read, for the backward class, there will be a 24 percent reservation in the position of councillor, corporator. Similarly, the post of mayor and mayor of metropolitan corporations will also be reserved for 27 per cent. Meanwhile, the Urban Development Minister said that the government would take steps to hold municipal elections once the panchayat election reservation process is complete.
There are 114 urban bodies in the state, including five metropolitan corporations, 48 municipalities and 61 notified area councils. With the exception of Hindol in Dhenkanal and Atabira municipality in Bargarh, the remaining 112 municipalities have completed the election period. With 91 terms expired in 2018, all other elections are over. Opposition groups called for a boycott of the assembly, which was adjourned for three years. He asserted that his confession had been obtained through torture. Opposition groups called for a boycott of the assembly, especially in the run-up to the by-elections. Opposition parties have stated they will not run in the by-elections. Opposition groups called for a boycott of the by-elections, but said that maintaining some independence was not the answer and furtgher BJD replied back to oppositions’ queries with bang.
The case is being re-assigned to another court, but this time around, the case is being re-assigned to another judge. The High Court ordered the reservation to be limited to 50 percent. The government then challenged the verdict and went to the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s verdict. The government then passed the Municipal Election Law Amendment Bill in the last assembly. Since 2018, the term of the elected council in the state’s municipality has been phased out. But with no election, most administrators have been appointed.
