SRINAGAR: The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Jammu and Kashmir, PK Pole, has written to the Housing and Urban Development Department, proposing changes to the Election Authority responsible for conducting Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) elections, reported The Excelsior.
The suggestion is to transfer this responsibility from the CEO to the State Election Commission (SEC). The CEO emphasised the need to ensure that the 50 percent upper limit of vertical reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) is not exceeded, as per constitutional provisions.
In the letter to the Principal Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, the CEO’s office pointed out that in most other States and Union Territories, both Panchayat and Municipal elections are overseen by the State Commission. However, in Jammu and Kashmir, Panchayat polls are currently conducted by the SEC, led by BR Sharma, while Municipal elections are managed by the CEO. This division has led to opposition protests, as some argue that Municipal polls should fall under the jurisdiction of the SEC.
The letter, as per The Excelsior stated, “Consequent to the appointment of a full-time SEC in J&K, the mandate to conduct Municipal electoral processes needs to be transferred from CEO to SEC. For this, the Election Authority under the Municipal Acts needs to be changed from Chief Electoral Officer to the State Election Commissioner.”
Regarding reservation for OBCs, the letter acknowledged that several representations were received requesting OBC reservations in ULBs, in line with constitutional provisions. However, it stressed that the upper limit of 50 percent vertical reservation for SC/ST/OBCs should not be exceeded in the context of local self-government. Exceptions could be considered to protect the interests of Scheduled Tribes in Scheduled Areas.
The letter also highlighted significant discrepancies in the number of voters in different Wards of Jammu Municipal Corporation and Srinagar Municipal Corporation. It called for a fresh delimitation exercise to address these disparities.
Urban Local Bodies elections, initially scheduled for October-November, were delayed due to the need for OBC reservations and addressing voter discrepancies, reads The Excelsior report. Similarly, Panchayat elections were slated for November-December, but potential delays were anticipated due to proposed amendments in the Panchayati Raj Act to grant OBC reservations. It is essential to note that there is a 33 percent reservation for women in Municipalities and Panchayats, with additional reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes based on their population.
