Kendrapara: Ending the uncertainty over the elections to 150- year-old Kendrapara Municipality, Orissa High Court has cleared all legal hurdles against conducting the urban local body elections here.
According to reports, former Councillor Muktar Khan had filed a case in the High Court in 2016 challenging the government’s proposal for 64 per cent reservation policy.
However, as the state Cabinet has now approved the continuance of the 50 per cent reservation policy, Khan reportedly requested the High Court to withdraw the case.
As a result, the HC has approved the withdrawal of the case and cleared decks for the municipal polls in the town. The latest development has paved the way for holding elections to all urban local bodies across the state simultaneously.
At the same time, it has prompted the political parties to gear up for the local urban body polls.
“The dark clouds over holding the municipal election have been removed following the withdrawal of the case related to reservation policy,” said Dilip Das, Kendrapara BJP president.
Meanwhile, the BJD is also encouraged about the conduct of the election on time. “Some political leaders were dissatisfied about the reservation and delimitation terms in Kendrapara.
Now that the legal hurdle has been removed, we are confident about our party’s good show in the upcoming municipal election,” said Rajesh Das, president of Kendrapara Youth BJD.
Meanwhile, political parties of all hues have started preparations for the upcoming panchayat polls in the state early next year.
Soon after the state government finalised the reservation of seats for women, general and ST/SC candidates, the two main political parties have begun a search for suitable candidates. This time, many political parties are banking on women candidates.
PNN