Notification for the much-awaited urban local bodies elections in Uttar Pradesh is likely to be announced in the first week of June. This was announced by State Election Commissioner, SK Agarwal in Gorakhpur on Friday. The SEC was in Gorakhpur to review preparations for the poll in the division.
“The notification for the election is issued by state government and we hope that it would be issued in the first week of June. The poll process of urban local bodies and their constitution will be completed by July 8,” said Agarwal.
The SEC said that though polling would be held in several phases but the number of phases is yet to be decided upon. In 2012 polls, the notification was issued on May 25 and the elections were held in four phases.
Agarwal said that Electronic voting machines would be used in the elections but there would be VVPAT (voter verification paper audit trail) along with the EVMs.
“We had sought for VVPAT machines but Election Commission Of India refused to provide. The EVM machines would only be used for elections in municipal corporations while for municipalties and municipal panchayats, the traditional ballot papers would be used,’’ said the SEC.
A top team of SEC officials led by SK Agarwal and senior police officials reviewed law and order situation and other preparedness for the elections in Gorakhpur division during the meeting.
After Gorakhpur, the SEC team will visit Varanasi on May 16, Bareilly on May 19 and Meerut on May 22. They will also hold a similar exercise in lucknow on May 15.
“During the review, officials would be holding discussions with divisional officials and assess requirements and preparedness. After every meeting, they will also brief the press,” SEC officials said. The SEC had already started the process for rapid revision of the electoral rolls from May 5 which will be completed in a record 20 days time on May 25. Meanwhile, two newly announced municipal corporations - Faizabad-Ayodhya and Mathura- Vrindavan would be included for elections for the first time, taking the total of coprorations in the state to 16. The urban local bodies elections would be held for 654 posts -438 municipal boards, 202 town areas and 16 Municipal Corporations. In all, 1,024 corporators in municipal corporations, 5,097 in municipal boards and 5,158 in municipal panchayats would be elected in these elections.