Elections to the 36 seats of UP legislative Council through the local body’s constituencies are likely to be delayed as the Electoral College is yet to be constituted. The seats are falling vacant on January 15 and the electorates comprise of elected representatives of the three-tier Panchyat bodies and elected representatives of the urban local bodies.
The process is crucial for ruling SP as the party hopes to bag the maximum number of seats which will pitchfork it as the party with a majority in the Upper House. Presently, the BSP has the largest share in teh Upoper House with 45 members out of a total of 100 seats but 34 of them are retiring on January 15.
Election Commission of India (ECI) sources said that the poll panels needs at least 40 days to conduct the polls and hence the polls being held before January 15 is bleak.
The official said that 40 days is needed for issuing notification, filing nomination papers, withdrawal of candidature and scrutiny which is followed by minimum 14 days of campaign period and repoll if needed and four days for counting.
"The basic hurdle in the way of the ECI is that until the electoral college is constituted and hence the electoral rolls are yet to be finalised. The rolls will be finalized only after representatives like member district panchyat, member block development committee, block pramukh and village prdhans are administered oath of office and a notification for all three-tiers of Panchyat bodies is issued by the UP government,’’ said the official
The polls of the block pramukh are likely to be completed by end of January next year. The term of the outgoing block pramukh is ending on March 17 next year after which t he successful candidates will be administered oath of office and then they can be placed in the electoral rolls.
OSD to the State Election Commissioner, JP Singh said that the SEC has nothing to do with the legislative Council polls. "Our job is to conduct the polls of the three-tier of Panchyat bodies and inform the state government when the process is completem,’’ said Singh.