GUWAHATI: The Nagaland government is caught in Catch-22 on urban local bodies (ULBs) elections in the state. If it holds the polls with 33% reservation of seats for women, it will invite the wrath of some powerful tribal organisations and if it does not go ahead with the process, it will face action for contempt of an order of the SC.
On March 9, the State Election Commission announced that the ULBs election would be held to the state’s three municipal and 36 town councils on May 16 with 33% reservation of seats for women. However, it canceled the notification on March 30 as the Assembly on March 28 resolved to repeal the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001 and with immediate effect.
Subsequently, on April 5, the Supreme Court stayed the government notification that canceled the ULBs election after hearing a contempt petition filed by some organisations. Earlier, several influential tribal organisations threatened to boycott the election if it is conducted without repealing the Municipal Act that allows reservation for women and empowers the ULBs to collect property taxes.
The tribal bodies contested that quota for women would be an infringement on the Naga customary laws, as enshrined in Article 371(A) of the Constitution that protects its traditional way of life. They also have reservations about property taxes.
On April 4, one day ahead of the Supreme Court order staying the cancellation of the polls, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had said the government would not hold the election if people so wanted. The first civic body elections in Nagaland were held in 2004 but without reservation. Two years later, the Municipal Act was amended to provide for 33% reservation for women.
In 2017, the state made an attempt to go to polls with 33% reservation for women but it backfired. Protestors attacked and set ablaze government buildings in parts of the state which saw the then CM TR Zeliang losing his chair. Rio does not want a 2017-like situation. The state is likely to hold a “consultative meeting” with the leaders of tribal organisations in the next few days.
“People want the ULBs polls but they stand opposed to the collection of property taxes and reservation of the post of chairperson in the ULBs for women,” a BJP leader told this newspaper. Nagaland is ruled by a coalition of the BJP and NDPP.
Nagaland stats