Ranchi. In Jharkhand (Jharkhand), the way has been cleared for the simultaneous elections of all 49 municipal bodies. According to the pre-determined schedule, elections to 13 municipal bodies were to be held in the year 2023, but now the remaining 36 municipal bodies will also be dissolved before their scheduled tenure and elections will be held simultaneously. The Cabinet of the State Government has approved a proposal to this effect prepared by the Urban Development Department. The government has also decided that these elections will be conducted without OBC reservation. For this, the judgment passed by the Supreme Court in the Special Leave Appeal in the case of Rahul Ramesh vs State of Maharashtra and others has been made the basis. According to this, the population of backward classes will be considered in other category and seats will be de-reserved according to the population of OBC, from where anyone can contest elections. It is worth noting that a few months back in the state this year, panchayat elections were also held without the determination of OBC reservation.
According to the Municipal Election Rules 2023 passed in the cabinet, the elections will be conducted on a non-party basis. Let us inform that elections in 13 municipal bodies of 10 districts of the state are pending since 2020 itself. Elections to these bodies were held in 2015. Elections could not be held here despite the proposal being prepared due to the fear of Kovid infection. The State Election Commission had made preparations for their election early next year. The work of delimitation and reservation of wards in these municipal bodies was also completed. Now according to the new rules, the process of delimitation and reservation of wards in the remaining 36 municipal bodies will also be completed and after that the election of all 49 municipal bodies will be announced simultaneously. It is expected that these elections will be held in March-April next year. (IANS)
