Following approval of Governor OP Kohli to the Ordinance, the Gujarat Government has decided to postpone the local body elections of six municipal corporations, 56 municipalities, 31 district panchayats and 230 block panchayats by three months.
Apparently, the move has come over concerns due to the prevailing law and order situation in the State in wake of ongoing pro-quota agitation of Patidars who are demanding reservation in education as well as in Government jobs under OBC category.
Sources said that the State Election Commission issued a notification for postponement of the polls on Saturday late night. Before the notification, the State administration promulgated an Ordinance amending the local bodies’ election law to enable the administration defer the polls due to the factors other than natural calamities.
“The draft Ordinance seeks to amend Section 7A of Bombay (Gujarat) Provincial Municipal Corporation Act - 1949, Section 8A of Municipality Act-1963 and Section 257 of Panchayat Act - 1993,” said an official with the State election commission, explaining the objective of the ordinance that the Government can postpone elections of local bodies if people are unable to exercise their franchise freely due to natural calamities, riots and other obstructions.
The Ordinance seeks to empower the Government to appoint administrators to the local self-Government bodies till conditions are not restored for holding free and fair elections. Already the Apex Court has stayed the process of the elections of six municipal corporations following a writ petition challenging the one-ward, multi-representative system.
Currently the poll bound six Municipal Corporations and all the District Pachayats are ruled by BJP. Besides, most of the block Panchayats and municipalities are also controlled by the saffron party. Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress Party blamed on the BJP ruled State Government that it had taken the decision fearing defeat in the local body elections.