About 250,000 new voters added for local body polls in Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad administration has finalised the voters’ list for the upcoming local body elections in Uttar Pradesh, sources said

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad administration has finalised the voters’ list for the upcoming local body elections in Uttar Pradesh, sources said. A total of 249,911 new voters will exercise their franchise in the upcoming civic body polls across nine local bodies, including the Ghaziabad municipal corporation.

Ghaziabad, India - November 19, 2022: Close on the heels of the election of the Nagar Panchayat Chairman in Dasna, people have already got hoardings installed and posters pasted on walls, in Ghaziabad, India, on Saturday, November 19, 2022. (Photo by Sakib Ali /Hindustan Times)

Officials said that the list has been updated till November 19 and further addition/deletion of names may take place till the announcement of the poll dates. Sources said that elections may be announced by the end of the current year.

“The voters’ list has been finalised for the local body elections and further addition/deletion of names can be done till the announcement of the election schedule. The voters’ list has been finalised for the nine local bodies in the district,” said Ritu Suhas, additional district election officer and nodal officer for local bodies.

According to official figures, a total of 249,911 voters have been added from the previous elections held in 2017. The figure includes 146,357 new voters who will vote for the posts of councillors and mayor of the Ghaziabad municipal corporation.

The local bodies include the nagar palikas of Loni, Modinagar, Muradnagar, Khoda and nagar panchayats of Dasna, Patla, Niwari and Farid Nagar.

The Ghaziabad municipal corporation has the highest number of 100 wards of the total 294 wards spread across the nine local bodies.

In the 2017 local body elections, the total number of electorates was 2,276,890 which has increased to 2,526,801 for the current year.

For the 100 wards of the municipal corporation, the officials have already finalised the reservation status and have sent the proposed list to the state administration for approval. The reservation status for the post of mayor of the corporation is likely to be announced in the coming days, sources said.

According to officials, 57 of its 100 wards have been proposed under the reserved seats for various categories. While 14 wards were reserved for the candidates from the Scheduled Caste (SC), 21 have been reserved for candidates from other backward classes (OBC), officials said. Besides, 22 wards have been reserved for women candidates.

A government order seeking the proposals for reservation of wards in local bodies was issued to different local bodies across the state on October 21 this year.

The order said (while mentioning a previous order of November 24, 2011) that seats which are reserved for SCs, OBCs and women in the previous polls will not be allotted to the same categories in the coming elections.