TV
The Odisha State Election Commission has initiated primary preparations to conduct by-elections for a total of 1,134 vacant posts in the three-tier Panchayati Raj system across the state. These elections are expected to be held very soon, aiming to fill posts that remained vacant following the previous general panchayat elections.
Statistics Of By-Election
As per official sources, the upcoming by-elections will cover five Zilla Parishad members, 41 Panchayat Samiti members, 45 Sarpanches, and 272 Ward Members. In addition to these, elections will also be held afresh in 771 wards where polling was previously withheld due to the absence of candidates.
These 771 wards were originally reserved for specific categories like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Women during the last panchayat elections. However, as no nomination papers were filed for these reserved seats, the elections were suspended.
Subsequently, based on the recommendations of the respective District Collectors, the reservation status of these wards has been revised, and they have now been declared as unreserved, paving the way for fresh electoral proceedings.
Complete Schedule
According to the Secretary of the State Election Commission, preparations are underway to finalize the voter list for each of these wards. Between April 17 and April 22, election officers will prepare ward-wise electoral rolls using data from the Central Election Commission. These preliminary voter lists will be published on April 24 at the respective Gram Panchayat headquarters.
The Commission will also allow time for public scrutiny and corrections. Objections or suggestions regarding the draft voter lists can be submitted by April 30, after which a review and correction process will take place from May 2 to May 5. The final revised voter lists will be submitted to the State Election Commission on May 9 by the respective election officials.
These efforts underscore the Odisha government’s commitment to ensuring inclusive and participatory local governance. The official election schedule, including nomination and polling dates, is expected to be announced once the voter list finalization process is complete. The by-elections will help strengthen grassroots democracy and ensure the effective functioning of local self-government institutions across Odisha.
