The preparations for the local body elections may be in the final stages, but given the current circumstances, there is no possibility of elections till December 25. OBC reservation in municipal bodies has not been determined yet and it is being said that it will take some more time. In this regard, the government is bringing an ordinance in view of the amendment in the Nagar Palika and Municipal Corporation Act, on which the green signal of the Raj Bhavan is awaited. Amidst this entire scenario, the civic elections can now be postponed till January or February next year. The number of local municipal bodies currently functioning in the state is 105, out of which elections are not held in Badrinath, Kedarnath and Gangotri. In view of the elections in the remaining 102 bodies, delimitation, determination of constituencies and revision of voter lists have been done. As per the order of the Supreme Court, reservation for OBC (Other Backward Class) in the bodies has to be determined afresh. The single dedicated commission formed in this regard has also submitted its report to the government. In connection with the determination of OBC reservation, the government had earlier amended the Body Act through an ordinance. When this ordinance was placed in the session of the Assembly as a bill, the Municipal Corporation Act could not be passed.
Then this matter was handed over to the Select Committee of the Assembly. The Select Committee continued to study the subject and recommended that the body elections be held on the basis of the 2011 census. Some time later, the government again sent the ordinance amending the Body Act to the Raj Bhavan in view of determining OBC reservation. Not only this, in the meantime, the exercise of the body election got stuck due to the code of conduct for the by-election of the Kedarnath seat of the Assembly. According to sources, the ordinance is awaiting approval from the Raj Bhavan. After this, the reservation rules are also to be amended. Sources said that even if the ordinance and rules get approval by the end of this month, then it will take time to determine the reservation. After the determination of OBC reservation, it will take at least one week to receive objections and claims on it and then to dispose of them. Then the same process will be followed with regard to reservation of posts. In such a situation, the notification for civic elections is likely to be issued around December 15. Although, earlier the government had made it clear in the case pending in the High Court that civic elections will be held by December 25, but in the present circumstances it does not seem possible.
