Gujarat is likely to hold elections for municipal corporations, municipalities, districts and taluka panchayats in February. The five-year term for elected representatives of 51 municipalities and six municipal corporations ends on December 13.
The State Election Commission (SEC), which conducts the local elections, has indicated that the elections are likely to be held in February. The elections are due for six municipal corporations: Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar, 31 district panchayats, 55 municipalities and 230 taluka panchayats.
The elections for the local municipal and panchayats were scheduled to be held in November but the State authorities decided to postpone them in the wake of pandemic.
The State government has also sought permission from the Supreme Court to delay the local elections for three months. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court allowed the plea seeking postponement of elections for local bodies in cities and districts.
The State government has tasked the municipal commissioners at municipal corporation level and chief officers of municipalities to handle day-to-day administrative works without taking any policy-related decision till the elections are held and new bodies take over.
The State government is also likely to ask District Development Officers (DDOs) and Taluka Development Officers (TDO) to look after the administrative works in absence of elected wings in the local self-governance institutions.
The term for district and taluka panchayats is also set to end by end of this month.
