Important local body elections of Gujarat’s six top cities including Ahmedabad are likely to be held after the Bihar Assembly polls as the Gujarat Government didn’t reply to the Supreme Court’s notice on the petition challenging elections of six Municipal Corporations.
The apex court had stayed the process of holding elections to the six Municipal Corporations including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar after a petition was filed challenging the one ward, multiple members system. On this, Gujarat Government was to file its reply to the Supreme Court by September 20. However, the State Government missed the deadline for some or other reason. Now, the next hearing is scheduled on September 28th in which the final decision on holding the elections would likely to come.
“Interestingly, the terms of all the six civic bodies are ending in next month. It means these corporations would come under administrator’s rule,” said a senior official in the State Election Commission, adding that there would be delay in the legal procedure as the Government neither filed a reply, nor moved a review plea in the Supreme Court.
Responding to a petition filed by residents of Vadodara, the apex court issued a notice to the State Government on September 4 and questioned the multi-member system in local bodies. From three councillors per ward, it had been increased to four in Gujarat to introduce 50 per cent women reservation in local bodies.
More than 300 local bodies including municipalities, district and tehsil panchayats are going for polls in the State. Though, the apex courts order would not applicable on panchayat polls.
In wake of the pro-quota stir of Patels, the stay came as blessings in disguise for the ruling BJP. Political parties, especially the saffron party is finding it difficult to hold meeting of its workers for selection of candidates as Patidars are targeting political leaders to clarify their stand on reservation policy.