Odisha Civic Body Polls: BJP Seeks Governor’s Intervention Over Delay

The Opposition BJP unit in Odisha has sought intervention of Governor Ganeshi Lal over the inordinate delay in conducting elections to urban local bodies in the State.

Senior BJP spokesman Pitambar Acharya has requested Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal to summon State Election Commissioner (SEC) and seek an explanation for subverting the constitutional mandate by deferring the Urban Local Body polls in the State for three years.

“It's high time honourable Governor Of Odisha may intervene and summon the State Election Commissioner as to why he has subverted the constitutional mandate in not holding Urban polls for three years,” Acharya stated while taking to Twitter.

Also Read

Odisha Flags Concerns Over Short Supply Of Fertilizers, Seeks Early Solution

Read More

Indravati Canal Breach Inundates Hectares Of Farm Land In Kalahandi

Read More

Odisha Higher Edu Dept Asks Colleges To Expedite Validation Process Of Student Scholarships

Read More

The BJP leader lambasted the State's top electoral body over the inordinate delay in conducting municipal elections in the State.

“The SEC being a creature of the constitution is bound by it and has to uphold the constitutional values. It’s neither a statutory body nor is subservient to Government. It acts independently as per the dictates of constitution of India. The commission has failed in this front,” he noted in his tweet.

Acharya also slammed the SEC for working in tandem with Odisha Government to deliberately defer the urban polls which has given unlawful authority to the State machinery in managing the affairs through bureaucrats while rendering the role of people's representatives useless.

“There has been a serious breach of constitutional machinery since the SEC in tandem with the State Government has deliberately deferred the urban polls and managing the affairs through the bureaucrats. It’s against the spirit of the constitution and law,” said Acharya.

It is worth mentioning that elections to as many as five municipal corporation and 109 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are pending for the legal tangle over Odisha Municipal Rules-2016. Since 2018, no municipal election has been held in the State. 

Earlier on July 27, a high-level representative team of BJP had met State Election Commissioner to express their concern over the delay in conduct of the Municipal polls. They had demanded to conduct the civic polls before panchayat elections.

The BJP had warned the SEC to take legal route if the electoral body failed to come to a conclusion in ULB poll decision soon. 

(Edited by Suryakant Jena)