OST Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Sep 6:

The State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday asked the Odisha government to inform it about the probable dates for elections in 25 urban local bodies (ULBs) in the nine western Western Odisha districts whose terms would expire on September 19 in the absence of elected councils.
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In a letter to chief secretary JK Mohapatra, SEC Ajit Kumar Tripathy recommended the government to go in for appointment of administrators to the posts of elected chairpersons in the event of the vacancy in the civic bodies in order to create a congenial atmosphere for holding of ULB elections.

“Though the holding of elections before the expiry of the present councils is the responsibility of the SEC, maintenance of law and order is the responsibility of the government. There should be continuous normalcy of the situation to facilitate the SEC to hold the elections”, Tripathy said in his letter.

It may be mentioned that the process for the ULB polls scheduled for September 19 could not be completed in western Odisha due to an indefinite strike by the Central Action Committee of lawyers supported by all political parties demanding setting up of a permanent Bench of the Odisha High Court in the region.