Bhubaneswar: Municipal elections for the newly-formed urban local bodies (ULBs) in Odisha are set to be held by the end of June this year.
Sharing this information on Wednesday, State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi told reporters that a meeting was held at Ganjam District Council conference hall to review preparedness for the poll process.
Arrangements for the elections and administrative readiness were discussed in detail during the review to ensure the smooth and transparent conduct of the upcoming municipal polls.
As per the prescribed norms, the election process must be completed within six months of the declaration
of any municipal area. In view of this provision, the State Election Commission (SEC) has initiated preparations to ensure the timely conduct of the elections.
Notably, the Odisha government had issued a notification declaring 24 new Notified Area Councils (NACs) and municipalities. As a result, elections in all these newly notified urban bodies are required to be completed within the stipulated six-month timeframe.
Election results in these areas will be declared by the end of June after which the first meetings of the newly-elected bodies would be convened, officials said. The State Election Commissioner has formally informed the state government through an official letter regarding the necessity of completing the election process within the mandated period.
As the NAC notification was released on December 31, all the related work should be completed within 30 days. If the delimitation and reservation process is completed, the SEC can proceed to make the electoral roll. Thereafter, the election process will begin, Padhi said.