Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) is gearing up for the elections to urban local bodies in November.
This time the number of urban local bodies going to polls will be 763, as 111 new urban local bodies have been created in the last five years. The urban local bodies include 17 nagar nigams, 200 nagar palika parishads and 546 nagar panchayats. The elections will be held in November-December.
For the first time, electronic voting machines ( EVMs) will be used for elections in 17 nagar nigams (municipal corporations). The SEC has arranged 49,800 control units and 92,000 ballot units and some EVM units will be arranged from other states.
During the last election of urban local bodies, elections were held for 652 local bodies. The Urban Development department has issued a directive for completing the rapid survey for ascertaining the population of the Other Backward Classes in each ward of the urban local bodies. After the rapid survey, delimitation of wards will be finalised. The rapid survey has to be carried out as many new urban local bodies have been created while the municipal areas of many cities have increased with the addition of many villages in municipal limits.
After the completion of the rapid survey the reservation of seats for the OBCs will be worked out. The Urban Development department has set the target to complete the rapid survey and reservation of wards for OBCs by the second week of November. After the delimitation of wards, the State Election Commission will launch a drive for electoral roll revision.