BHUBANESWAR: The State government on Tuesday announced that panchayat elections will be held on time in Odisha next year as the process of delimitation of wards has been completed. Panchayat poll is scheduled after February 2022.
Panchayati Raj Minister Pratap Jena said that the State government will soon submit the report to the State Election Commission (SEC) with details relating to the rural polls. “We have already prepared the calendar of the election schedule and soon will submit our proposal to the SEC,” he added.
Opposition political parties BJP and Congress have been putting pressure on the government to hold the local body polls. While the urban local body (ULB) polls have already been delayed by three years, the panchayats will complete their tenure in February next year.
Sources said that the government is keen to hold the panchayat polls in time and prepare for the ULB elections thereafter as the ruling BJD is in a better position in the rural areas. “In urban areas, the ruling party is not in a comfortable situation and may defer the elections till panchayat polls are completed,” a senior BJD leader said.
The Minister said that all hurdles for holding the ULB elections are being cleared by the government. “Hopefully, the urban local bodies will soon go to polls,” he added. The State government is likely to bring a Bill in the ensuing session of the Assembly to be held in September to clear the decks for the urban elections.
The Supreme Court had asked the State governments not to exceed 50 per cent reservation of seats in the ULB polls. The government needs to amend the relevant acts to comply with the Supreme Court order. However, it has not brought the required amendments to the Municipal Acts as a result of which the ULB polls continue to the delayed.