Hold Gurgaon civic body polls in three months: HC

The court ruled that all formalities be completed in two months and polls be held within a month thereafter

The Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) to hold elections within three months.

Polls were to be held in May, but the process was delayed due to delimitation of wards being carried out. (Parveen Kumar/HT File)

Hearing a petition, the court ruled on December 8 that all formalities for polls be completed within two months and polls be held within a one month thereafter. The order was made public on Monday.

The tenure of MCG’s elected representatives ended on June 21 and polls were to be held in May, but the process was delayed due to delimitation of wards being carried out. The MCG authorities claim that delimitation has to be carried out before elections.

On August 28, Badshahpur resident and local activist Rajesh Yadav had filed a civil writ petition in court asking for elections to be held. Yadav said the absence of elected representatives in a civic body is a violation of democratic rights. He also said residents are suffering as there is no one to take up their issues.

A bench of justices Ajay Kumar Mittal and Ramendra Jain ruled that polls should be held within three months. A counsel for the state government had requested a period of two months for completion of formalities.

“We dispose of the writ petition by granting two months’ time to the respondents to complete the formalities for holding of election. Thereafter, election shall be held within next one month in accordance with law,” the bench directed in a two-page order.

The number of MCG wards was reduced from 35 to 32 in March this year on the basis of a population census that recorded the city’s population at 9.9 lakh. MCG had formed 35 wards on the basis of a local survey in 2011 that recorded a population of 11.53 lakh. However, the 2011 Census of India, which came out later, again put the population at 9.9 lakh.

Official sources said the delimitation process is underway and would be completed in two months. “Delimitation is not an easy process and legal hassles often hamper it. Many councillors approach courts against delimitation, leading to delay in election process,” said a senior MCG official.