The State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday asked the Government to inform the probable dates for elections to be conducted in the left-out 25 urban local bodies in nine western Odisha districts whose terms would expire on September 19 in the absence of elected councils.
In a letter to Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, SEC Ajit Kumar Tripathy formally recommended to the Government to go in for appointment of Administrators in the posts of elected chairpersons in the event of the vacancy in the civic bodies.
The process for the polls scheduled for September 19 could not be completed in western Odisha due to the law and order situation in view of an indefinite strike by the Central Action Committee of lawyers supported by all political parties on the demand for setting up of a permanent Bench of the Odisha High Court in the region.
The SEC advised the Chief Secretary to take steps so as to employ Administrators for a limited period and enable to create a congenial atmosphere for holding of UlB elections.
The SEC also requested the Government to inform the probable dates for holding the elections in the 25 UlBs to enable constitution of elected councils after ensuring normal law and order situation in the region.
Tripathy said that though the holding of elections before the expiry of the present councils is the responsibility of the SEC, maintenance of law and order is the responsibility of the Government. There should be continuous normalcy of the situation to facilitate the SEC to hold the elections, he said in his letter.