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Nagaland to hold urban local body polls after 2 decades with 33% quota for women
The announcement came in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s directive to the state’s poll panel to complete the ULB election process by the end of May.
KOHIMA: The long-awaited urban local body (ULB) elections in Nagaland will be held on May 16 with 33% seats reserved for women, the state election commission (SEC) announced on Thursday.
The announcement came in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s directive to the state’s poll panel to complete the ULB election process by the end of May. The newly formed Nagaland cabinet headed by chief minister Neiphiu Rio during its first meeting on Tuesday deliberated on the conduct of the ULB elections by May this year with 33% women reservation as directed by the Supreme Court. Subsequently, the SEC on Thursday notified the elections to three municipal councils and 36 town councils in the northeastern state.
With the announcement of ULB polls, which have not been held in the state for nearly two decades, the model code of conduct will come into force with immediate effect, said state election commissioner T Mhabemo Yanthan. “Filing of nominations will take place from April 3-10, scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on April 12 and 13 while the last date of withdrawal of candidature is set on April 24,” said Yanthan. “Counting of votes and declaration of results will be done on May 19.”
The 33% reservation of seats for women in civic bodies has been a contentious issue in Nagaland, which recently created history by electing two women to the legislative assembly, the first since the state was formed in 1963.
Various tribal organisations have been opposing the women quota in civic bodies, asserting that Constitution of India’s Article 371(A), which grants special provisions to Nagaland, protects the state over the 74th Amendment (Clause IV), which mandates 33% reservation for women in civic bodies.
The Naga society is largely patriarchal and most tribal bodies are male-dominated.
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The northeastern state enacted its Municipal Act in 2001, under which the last ULB elections were held in 2004. Opposition to attempts to hold the ULB polls in 2017 led to violence in the state’s commercial city Dimapur and the capital Kohima in January and early February 2017 which claimed two lives. This led the state government to declare the process to conduct election null and void in February 2017.
“We are overwhelmed to learn that the ULB elections are going to be conducted finally with 33% women reservation. It has been a long struggle for us,” said Abeiu Meru, president of the Naga Mothers Association (NMA), which has been at the forefront for women representation in civic bodies.
“We hope there will be no more objections on the matter and the right persons will be elected,” Meru said. “We are really looking forward to the participation of our women in the upcoming ULB elections. I hope the elections will be conducted peacefully.”
Referring to the recent election of two women MLAs in the state for the first time, the editor of local daily Tir Yimyim said it was time to have women representation in the state’s civic bodies as well. “This is very encouraging. It should be welcomed and supported by everyone,” said K Temjen Jamir.
