MP: SEC defers panchayat polls on OBC seats post SC order


PTI | Bhopal | Updated: 18-12-2021 19:41 IST | Created: 18-12-2021 19:41 IST
MP: SEC defers panchayat polls on OBC seats post SC order
  • Country:
  • India

The Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) on Saturday decided to postpone the Panchayat election process on the seats reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in view of the Supreme Court's ruling regarding these seats. Polling on other seats will be held as per the schedule- in three phases on January 6, January 28 and February 16.

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the poll process on seats reserved for OBCs in the Panchayat elections in Madhya Pradesh and re-notified these seats for the general category.

"In compliance with the Supreme Court order, the election process for general elections 2021-22 of the three-tier panchayat system for the posts of Panch, Sarpanch and members of Janpad and Jila panchayats on the seats reserved for OBCs has been postponed," SEC Commissioner BP Singh said in an official statement.

The decision to this effect was taken during a meeting of officials held on Saturday. In accordance with the directives of the apex court, the process of the election on other seats will continue as per the schedule announced by the commission earlier, the SEC stated.

Singh said that district election officials have been told to keep safe the nomination papers submitted so far by OBC candidates for these seats.

A total of 155 posts of members of Jila Panchayats, 1,273 members of Janpad Panchayats, 4,058 sarpanchs, 64,353 posts of panch were reserved for OBCs during this election process. The SC's Friday verdict came after Congress leader Manmohan Nagar, president of Bhopal Jila Panchayat, approached the apex court alleging that the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh had violated the Constitutional provisions on the rotation of reservation and delimitation for Panchayat polls.

A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and C T Ravikumar observed that it had passed an order on December 15, directing the SEC to notify the seats in the local bodies in Maharashtra, which were reserved for the OBCs, as a general category. The bench passed an order to stay the election process only in respect of OBC seats in all the local bodies in MP and to re-notify those seats for the general category. On December 4, the SEC had announced polling for 859 posts of district panchayats across 52 districts in MP, 6,727 posts under 313 Janpad Panchayats, Sarpanchs of 22,581 village panchayats and 3,62,754 posts of Panch members will be held in three phases respectively on January 6, January 28 and February 16. The tenure of these Panchayat bodies had ended in March 2020 but elections were delayed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The process of filing nominations for the first and second phases began on December 13. Counting of votes for the sarpanch and the panch elections will be held at the booths, while votes for Janpad Panchayat and Jila Panchayat members will be counted at the block headquarters.

Results of the election for Janpad panchayat members will be announced at the block headquarters on February 22. The results of the Jila panchayat members' election will be declared at the district headquarters on February 23, the SEC had said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Give Feedback