Nearly 60 per cent women candidates fighting panchayat polls in Assam
Published on Apr 12, 2025
By IANS
- GUWAHATI — Nearly 60 per cent of candidates fighting for the upcoming
Panchayat polls in Assam are women, said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on
Saturday.
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- The CM also mentioned that a major section of candidates
contesting elections are under 40 years of age.
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- Taking to X handle, CM Sarma wrote, "Nominations for
#AssamPanchayatPolls concluded yesterday. 59% of our candidates are women. A
large number are also under 40 and many have already won uncontested. The NDA
is heading for a landslide victory."
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- The panchayat elections were due in Assam since December
last year, however, the state administration could not proceed with the
notification of polls due to bar from a court.
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- The government had requested the court to allow the
elections to take place without further legal entanglements, emphasising the
need for the polls to proceed in panchayats despite ongoing cases. Following
multiple hearings, the Gauhati High Court in January permitted holding
panchayat polls.
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- Reacting to the court's order, CM Sarma had said, "The
High Court (Gauhati) has given the permission today to conduct Panchayat
elections. However, we have lost the time, as if we start from today, the
elections can be held in mid-February. But we have examinations for class 10
and 12 in the next month, and conducting an election at that time will create a
lot of trouble for the students in the villages. Moreover, it will be difficult
to get halls for counting votes."
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- Notably, the Gauhati High Court had barred panchayat
elections after multiple petitions claimed discrepancies in the constituency
redetermination process. These petitions argued that the elections should be
postponed until these errors are rectified.
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- For Assam, where panchayats serve as the first line of
governance and public service delivery in rural areas, this postponement is
more than just an administrative hiccup. It directly impacts local
self-governance, citizen engagement, and development initiatives in the
villages.
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