Zila parishad poll to be held before May 31

The state is ready to witness the next round of elections to zila parishad and panchayat samitis. A notification for holding the elections was issued today, directing the state to hold the elections by May 31.

Though the final date of elections has not been decided so far, sources in the government said the elections would be held only after wheat harvesting was over. There is no bar on parties from contesting these elections on party symbols, which will make these elections another political battleground for all four main political parties in the state, namely AAP, Congress, BJP and Akali Dal.

State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhari said they would conduct the elections at the earliest.

These elections have been due for over a year now. It is learnt that the government will wait for the exams to get over in March, as the teachers, who are put on election duty, will be busy till then. Thereafter, wheat harvesting will begin, which will keep the rural voters occupied. Thus, the elections will be held only in the beginning of May.

The elections to 23 zila parishads and 156 panchayat samitis, also called block samitis, were last held in September 2018. With the election process being set in motion now, the real political fight will be between AAP and the Congress. In 2018, the Congress had command over these bodies, and it would now try to defend its position.