Municipal elections: State Cabinet decides to stick to original deadline

Dimapur, Jan. 3: Despite the extremely poor response on the opening day of the 5-day period for filing of nomination papers to the municipal elections, the state cabinet on Tuesday took a decision to complete the process of election to the urban local bodies “as notified”. This was decided during a cabinet meeting held at the residence of the chief minister at Dimapur on Tuesday evening, according to a press release from the principal secretary of the department of Municipal Affairs. According to the statement, the cabinet decided: “It would be in the best interest of the people and the state to go ahead with the elections to the ULBs with 33% reservation for women as passed by the state government in 2006 and also to give mandate to Article 243 T which, as it is, has already been in force since 1993, and since it has been found in the last more than two decades that Article 243 T has never infringed on the rights of the Nagas as enshrined in Article 371 A and that holding of elections to the ULBs with 33% reservation for women too, would not infringe on Article 371 A of the Constitution of India.” However, for better understanding, it has been decided to have more dialogue and consultations with the tribal organizations in the days to come, it stated.