GUWAHATI: The February 1 elections to Nagaland’s urban local bodies (ULBs) have been postponed amid an agitation against reservation of 33 per cent of seats for women.
Official sources said the duration of the deferment would be decided by the Cabinet and the Election Commission.
The Nagaland government decided to postpone the elections after a meeting with the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) which issued a call to boycott the election opposing a quota for women. Satisfied with the postponement, the JCC called off its indefinite bandh from Tuesday.
The Nagaland chief minister’s office (CMO) said the deal was brokered by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC).
“The NBCC requested the state government to give time to the JCC to reach out to various tribal organization with the understanding that by the expiry of the deferment time, the JCC will gain acceptance of the idea of reservation for women,” the CMO said in a statement.
“The JCC had asked for two months’ deferment to which it was agreed trilaterally that the time duration would depend on the approval of the Cabinet as well as the Election Commission,” the statement added.