Further delay in PRI polls looms in Haryana

Due to the ruling BJP-JJP coalition government’s inability to furnish the ward-wise data of the seats to be reserved

The Haryana state election commission (SEC) has asked the Manohar Lal Khattar government to extend the date for conducting panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) polls up to November 30 following the ruling BJP-JJP coalition government’s inability to furnish the ward-wise data of the seats to be reserved.

The Haryana state election commission (SEC) has asked the Manohar Lal Khattar government to extend the date for conducting panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) polls up to November 30. (Image for representational purpose only)

The poll panel has said that it would be able to conduct general elections of all the PRIs up to November 30 provided that the SEC receives “information of reservation of seats” in respect of all three tiers of PRIs in the state from the government “on or before September 22”.

At the heart of the SEC’s move seeking extension in the PRIs polls deadline, especially of the much-delayed panchayat elections, is the difficulty faced by the panchayat department in determining the seats to be reserved for the Backward Classes (A), a subcategory of the Backward Classes (BC).

The BC (A) is the latest category to get reservation in the PRI polls after the state government on September 1 took the ordinance route to reserve BC (A) seats in the upcoming PRIs polls.

The government accepted the recommendations of the Haryana Backward Classes Commission (HBCC) for quota to the BC (A) category in the PRIs polls and amended sections 9, 59 and 120 of the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, to bring the BC (A) population legally under the ambit of reservation.

“Yes, we have sent a letter to the Haryana government (seeking extension in the date for conducting the PRI polls),” said Dhanpat Singh, state election commissioner.

Yet another immediate reason behind the SEC asking the government to issue a revised notification and extend the deadline is the July-20 notification as per which the poll panel has to hold general elections of panches, sarpanches of all gram panchayats (except Sambhalka gram panchayat of Ladwa block in Kurukshetra) and members of all panchayat samitis and zila parishads by September 30.

In this backdrop, the assistant state election commissioner sent a letter to the additional chief secretary (ACS) (development and panchayats) on September 15, saying that general elections to three tiers of PRIs in Haryana “could not be conducted/completed by September 30”.

The letter says that the process could not be completed by the SEC as the Haryana government “has not supplied requisite information...even up till now” as called for by the poll panel first on August 22 followed by a subsequent reminder on September 2.

Government sources say in the absence of “authentic and legally tenable data” about the population of BC (A) in villages and wards, they are facing problems in sending the information the SEC has been seeking after the government amended the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act to give reservation to BC (A) in the seats of panches and sarpanches in gram panchayats, members of panchayat samiti and zila parishads in the state.

In its latest letter, the SEC has said that the Haryana government has to “supply details regarding reservation of seats ward wise in gram panchayat (for women, Schedule Caste (women), BC-A, BC-A women) and the seats of panches and sarpanches of gram panchayats, members of panchayat samitis and zila parishads, besides chairpersons of panchayat samiti and presidents of zila parishads.

Elections unlikely in October too

Sources say the SEC is in no mood to hold the PRI elections in October due to the festivals even if the government meets the September 22 deadline and furnishes the data regarding reservation of seats.

It is for the first time that reservation will be given to the BC (A) in the PRIs polls as per the set criterion, which the officials say is “complex”. For example, even if there is 2% BC (A) population in a village, at least one panchayat member will be elected from the BC (A).

In order to provide reservation for the BC (A), the population of this category will be drawn from the family data repository established under the provisions of The Haryana Parivar Pehchan Act, 2021.

The much-delayed panchayat polls had picked up momentum after the HBCC submitted its report and the BJP-JJP government decided to opt the ordinance route to give reservation to the BC (A) category.

While the Haryana leadership of the BJP has already convened meetings to decide whether the party should contest the panchayat and zila parishad polls on its symbol, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was on a two-day visit to Hisar recently to prepare the AAP for the PRI polls.