Panchayat Polls: Confusion prevails in three villages of Jhajjar district

Ravinder Saini

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Jhajjar, October 9

Though campaigning for the panchayat elections has started gaining momentum across the state, prospective candidates of Badli, Pahsor and MP Majra villages here are still in a “wait and watch” mode.

Prospective candidates wait

There is no electioneering in our village as it is still not a part of the election schedule. Prospective candidates are in a state of confusion. Narendra Singh, Resident, MP Majra village

Jhajjar is among the nine districts that will go to the panchayat polls in the first phase from October 30, but these three villages have not been included in the poll process as these are still part of the Badli MC.

Even a week after the public referendum in favour of the gram panchayat status for these villages, the government has not yet de-notified the Badli Municipal Committee, which was formed by including these villages over a year ago.

Prospective candidates from these villages are waiting for the government’s decision in this regard before launching their poll campaigns.

“There is no electioneering in our village as it is still not a part of the election schedule. Prospective candidates are in a state of confusion whether or not the government will restore the gram panchayat status of the village till the second and last phase of the elections,” said Narendra Singh, a prospective candidate for the post of sarpanch at MP Majra village.

An official said it would take time to conduct panchayat elections in these villages. The first step would be to de-notify the Badli Municipal Committee after which a draw of lots would be held to reserve various wards and key posts of gram panchayat. The election process would start in these villages only thereafter, he added.

“Residents of these three villages want to be part of the panchayat poll process at the earliest. We demand the government to include these villages in the election schedule for the second phase,” said Mainpal Sharma of Pahsor village. Vishal Gakhar, Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), Badli, said they had already sent the results of the public referendum to the state authorities for further action.