Poll season to cripple policy making

MUMBAI: With the State Election Commission (SEC) announcing the first leg of ‘mini Assembly’ polls, the model code of conduct has come into force, which will continue

MUMBAI: With the State Election Commission (SEC) announcing the first leg of ‘mini Assembly’ polls, the model code of conduct has come into force, which will continue for around the next five months. After elections for the municipal councils and nagar panchayats, which will begin from November 27, the polls for municipal corporations, district councils and panchayat samitis will occur in subsequent months. This means the state won’t be allowed to take policy decisions in order to not influence voters.

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The SEC on Monday announced the elections for 212 municipal councils and nagar panchayats that will be held in four phases between November 27, 2016 and January 8, 2017 in 33 districts of the state. Though the code of conduct in the respective districts will come to an end immediately after the results are declared, the state will not be able to announce any policy decision as the code of conduct would be in force in other districts. Moreover, elections for 26 district councils, 296 panchayat samitis and 10 municipal corporations are also scheduled to be held in the subsequent months.

“The elections will be on till March-April, but we have decided to complete them by February to avoid them clashing with schools and colleges’ exams. The government will not be able to announce any policy decisions influencing the voters where the elections are being held. I had written to the state government in January this year telling them about the elections and instructing them to plan the policies accordingly,” JS Saharia told HT.

The first direct impact will be on the second anniversary campaign of the state government, which began seven days ago. The SEC has said the state will not be able to run it in districts where the code is in force. “For the council and nagar panchayat polls, there will be no code of conduct in Mumbai and Thane. It will be partially in force in seven other districts including Palghar, Dhule, Nandurbar,” Saharia said. He added that the state will be able to launch infrastructure projects or perform bhoomi pujan of Shivaji statue in Mumbai when the code is not in force.