ULB election: Nagaland government to request SC for more time

Our Correspondent

Kohima, Aug. 20 (EMN): The government of Nagaland has decided to appeal to the Supreme Court to grant more time for conducting the elections to the urban local bodies (ULBs), citing “difficulties” faced by the state.

The Supreme Court had on July 29 passed an order, directing the State Election Commission to “complete” and “declare results” of the ULB election before the end of January 2023 and listed the matter for compliance in February.

In view of the apex court’s directive, the state Cabinet had a meeting at the Chief Minister’s Residential Complex in Kohima on Saturday to discuss the matter and the house decided to appeal to the court to defer the ULB election date, said the state government spokesperson Neiba Kronu.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Kronu, who is also the Minister of Planning and Coordination, Parliamentary Affairs, and Land Revenue, said the government will brief the Supreme Court about the “difficulties” faced by the state. 

‘We have to take everyone into confidence. We thought that if we mishandle and (the situation) become like the last time, it is not good,’ he said, adding that ‘December and January are also festive season for the people of the state’.

“Therefore, if we can avoid that (ULB election around that time), it will be good,” the minister said. 

The electoral process that is going on in all the municipal bodies, may take more time, as some municipal councils have given their “complaints”, he said, adding that they first need to finish the electoral process, after which the ULB election can be conducted.

He went on to say that the government is “studying the situation” and would take a stand when the “right time” comes.

On when the state government would approach the SC, he said the court had directed to complete the ULB election by January and the next hearing in February. ‘By that time, we will come to know something,’ he added.

The Supreme Court had earlier listed the matter for reporting compliance in the second week of February 2023. It also slammed the government for failing to give administrative approval for the final publication of electoral rolls (scheduled on November 24, 2022) in time.

In March this year, the state government, in compliance with the Supreme Court order, had announced its decision to conduct elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) with 33% reservation for women as per the 74th Amendment Act of the Constitution of India but it didn’t specify the date of the election.

It may be mentioned that the first and only election in Nagaland under the Municipal and Town Council Act of 2001 was conducted in 2004 without reservation for women, which functioned till 2009. The state government announced polls to the ULB with 33% women reservation in 2017 but it was disrupted by violent protests which claimed two lives and damaged properties.