ELECTION COMMISSION CIRCULAR ON GUJARAT LOCAL BODY POLLS CHALLENGED IN COURT

The circular issued by the Election Commission on the local body polls has been challenged in the Gujarat High Court. The petitioner has submitted in the court that the free and fair election process could be affected if the district panchayat and taluka panchayat elections are held after the results of the municipal corporation elections. A hearing will be held by the High Court in the coming days.

Regarding the separate local body elections counting, Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda tweeted that we are ready for the local body elections. “Even after the High Court order in 2015, a different date for counting of votes has been announced under the pressure of the BJP. We will challenge this decision of the Election Commission in the court.”

Considering the Covid0-19 situation in Gujarat, the local body elections of the state will be held in two phases, in the first phase of the municipal corporation and then of the municipalities and panchayats. Polling for 6 municipal corporations will be held on 21 February and counting of votes will take place on 23 February. While polling for 31 district panchayats and 231 taluka panchayats as well as 81 municipalities will be held on 28 February, counting of votes will be done on 2 March. At the same time, the code of conduct has been implemented in the state.

Preparations are currently underway by political parties for the local body elections. In particular, the BJP has taken a number of programmes, inaugurations and policy decisions over the last ten days. At the same time, the BJP and the Congress are conducting a candidate selection process.

The State Election Commission held a review meeting with all the district collectors through video-conferencing on the local body elections, as well as meetings with different departments of the government. Sanitizers will be provided to voters at polling stations, with an emphasis on the need for sanitizers and masks.