In urban body polls, only women to contest from odd-numbered wards
Male candidates will be able to contest from even-numbered wards only. But a female candidate can also contest from an evennumbered ward, if she wishes. BRAHM MOHINDRA, Punjab local bodies minister
CHANDIGARH:In the upcoming elections for the Punjab urban local bodies, including nine municipal corporations and 117 municipal councils and notified area committees, only women will contest from the odd-numbered wards while the even ones will remain open for candidates of both the genders.
A decision to this effect was taken recently by local bodies minister Brahm Mohindra on the lines of a law passed in 2017 by the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government as per which 50% wards should be reserved for women candidates.
“Male candidates will be able to contest from even-numbered wards only. But a female candidate can also contest from an even-numbered ward, if she wishes. Our department will work out the modalities to start the process in the coming week. Reservation for scheduled caste (SC) candidates in women category will be announced soon,” said Mohindra.
Administrators were appointed to run municipal corporations of Bathinda, Moga, Hoshiarpur, Phagwara, Pathankot, and Mohali besides 117 municipal councils and notified area committees after the terms of their elected bodies ended between March 8 and April 26. As per the Punjab Municipal Act, the civic bodies should go to the polls within six months of their tenure comes to an end. There are a total of 167 urban civic bodies in Punjab.
Since the civic bodies in Abohar, Kapurthala and Batala upgraded of late, they are still to get elected bodies as municipal corporations. The delimitation of wards in these civic bodies is still underway.
In June 2017, the state government decided to increase women reservation in urban local bodies and panchayati raj institutions from the existing 33% to 50%, one of the promises of the Congress in the run-up to the assembly elections.
The civic body polls will not be held before September due to the Covid-19 pandemic even as the state government in February had said they will be held in June and July.
“There is uncertainty over the poll schedule. We are not in a position to take any decision due to the pandemic. But we have put the process in motion by initiating the delimitation of wards on the basis of population. We may also increase the number of wards in some cities, if needed,” the local bodies minister said.