Polls to 7 MCs will be delayed

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 13

With the term of seven municipal corporations (MCs) due to end in the first week of July, the state government has decided to appoint administrators, indicating that elections may be delayed.

The five-year term of the Hisar, Rohtak, Karnal, Yamunanagar and Ambala MCs will end on July 1, that of the Panipat MC a day later and that of the Panchkula MC on July 3.

Kavita Jain, Minister for Urban Local Bodies, confirmed that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had issued orders for appointment of administrators for the MCs.

The appointment of administrators is done at the level of the Divisional Commissioner. The administrators will be at their places of posting before the term of these MCs ends.

Elections to these MCs were held in May-June 2013. Many of these Mayors had been at loggerheads with BJP MLAs in their respective areas, affecting development works.

Sources said the government was contemplating the poll delay to avoid any infighting in its cadre in urban areas as fielding official nominee in any ward was bound to cause heartburn among others.

A petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenging abolition of the Ambala Municipal Corporation by the government in February, could be a deterrent.

In normal circumstances, elections to MCs should be held before the expiry of the current term or immediately thereafter.

Dalip Singh, State Election Commissioner, said they had initiated the process for revision of electoral rolls in Hisar and Rohtak, which was scheduled to be completed by July 18.

He said work on delimitation of wards in some MCs was underway and they would announce the election schedule after this was completed.