E-Paper
Election panel sets ball rolling for civic polls
Barely 24 hours after the Governor granted assent to Bills seeking to advance panchayat and municipal elections, the Haryana Election Commission today commenced the process for holding panchayat polls at the earliest.
Barely 24 hours after the Governor granted assent to Bills seeking to advance panchayat and municipal elections, the Haryana Election Commission today commenced the process for holding panchayat polls at the earliest.
The Commission has issued a notification, directing all the District Electoral Officers to prepare list of voters in respect of all gram panchayats, gram samitis and zila parishads in the state. It stated that voter lists of all wards of zila parishads, panchayat samitis and gram panchayats will be prepared from December 8 to 10 on the basis of Assembly electoral rolls published on February 23 with reference to qualifying date as January 1, 2004.
While the state commission has decided to take January 1, 2004 as the qualifying date for panchayat elections, the Chief Election Commissioner is taking January 1, 2005 for the Assembly polls due in February 2005. “It is a sign of haste and against the spirit of the process,” a state official said.
While the Chautala Government is keen on the early panchayat elections, the Opposition is against the idea. There are indications that the election might be held in the mid-January.
According to the notification, draft publication of lists pertaining to all wards has to be completed by December 11.
The last date for receiving claims and objections is December 15 and for disposal of such claims and objections by the District Electoral Officer (Panchayat) December 18. The final lists would be published by December 27.
The draft list so prepared for preliminary publication for all wards should be in conformity with the rolls of the Assembly constituencies published on February 23, it said.
