In the first quarter of this year, Gujarat is gearing up for a set of municipal elections, sources said. Regular elections are held for the Junagadh Municipal Corporation (JMC), Kheda district panchayat, and a number of taluka panchayats. Midterm elections and by-elections are also held for open seats in municipalities, municipal corporations, districts, and taluka panchayats.
The polls will take place in 73 municipalities, including Bavla, Sanand, Dhandhuka, Mansa, Mahemdavad, Dakor, Chaklasi, Mahudha, Kheda, and many more throughout the state, according to sources and media reports.
For the open seats in Ahmedabad’s ward number 07, Bhavnagar’s ward number 03, and Surat’s ward number 18, important municipal corporations will hold by-elections. 44 seats in the Kheda district panchayat, 24 in the Kathlal taluka panchayat, 26 in the Kapadwanj taluka panchayat, and 28 in the Gandhinagar taluka panchayat have already received notifications.
Local Elections Postponed for Two Years
After being postponed for two years due to the conclusion of the previous five-year term, election preparations are now underway. Delays in putting into effect a 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local bodies have put the election process on hold.
In accordance with a Supreme Court order mandating population-based statistics for such allocations, the state government authorized the reservation in August 2023 after considering the Justice Jhaveri Commission’s recommendations. In the past, 10% of local bodies in Gujarat had OBC reservations.
“The State Election Commission will announce the seats under the new delimitations, setting the stage for the elections,” a poll preparation official informed a segment of the media.
In addition to supplementary polls to fill 84 vacant seats, these measures will facilitate elections for 73 municipalities, 5,319 gram panchayats, 17 taluka panchayats, and the district panchayats of Kheda and Banaskantha.
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