The long delayed but anticipated elections to the 3 Municipal Councils and 36 Town Councils in Nagaland is likely to be held soon with 33% reservation for women. Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton while apprising media persons today at the first cabinet meeting held yesterday after the swearing-in ceremony said one main agenda of the meeting was discussion on the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections. He said, as per the Supreme Court’s order, election for ULBs will have to be completed by May.
It may be mentioned here that the State Election Commission, Nagaland has also directed all the Deputy Commissioners to designate Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers for each of the Municipal/Town Councils in the respective districts for the ULB elections. This was informed by the State Election Commissioner T Mhabemo Yanthan through a circular on March 4.
The elections to the ULBs in Nagaland were last held in 2004. Conduct of the elections in 2017 was met by violent protests resulting in loss of lives and forcing the state government to retract.
As reported by this newspaper earlier, the Supreme Court has recently on February 13 directed the Nagaland State Election Commission to notify the ULB elections and place before it the official notification by 14 March, 2023.
It may also be mentioned here that the Association of Kohima Municipal Ward Panchayat (AKMWP), All Ward Union Mokokchung Town (AWUMT) and the Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCF) have been reiterating their earlier demand seeking amendment or reviewing of the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001 with specific references to certain provisions and sections that infringes upon Article 371-A of the Constitution of India before the ULB elections are held.
According to a source, the three urban civil bodies last submitted a representation to the state government on September 19 last year but have not received any response from the government yet.
“The 3 (three) Associations further apprise the government that, till the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001 is reviewed/amended, the Association shall not compromise and will not allow or participate in the election process of the municipality in the State,” they stated in their representation submitted in September, adding that the people of Nagaland will “never accept development at the cost of their rights.”
Meanwhile, if the ULB elections were to be held with 33% reservation for women, it is learnt that 6 wards would be reserved for women in Mokokchung municipality which includes wards 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18.
Refer table for the 18 wards under Mokokchung Municipal Council with their corresponding ward numbers as per a 2018 MMC notification.
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