GURGAON: The BJP’s emphatic victory in the UP assembly election has set the ball rolling for the panchayat polls in Haryana.
The terms of the village panchayats in Haryana ended in February last year and as per the constitutional mandate, the elections have to be conducted within six months from the date of dissolution of the local bodies. But the state government had been delaying the local body polls fearing a pushback from anti-farm law protesters.
Haryana BJP chief Omprakash Dhankar, however, said on Thursday that the state government may issue a notification for municipal corporation and municipality elections after the ongoing budget session of the assembly. “The polls could be held in May. We are confident of getting the blessings of the people,” he told TOI.
However, he made it clear that the gram panchayat elections would be conducted only after a nod from the Punjab and Haryan high court. “Anyway, we hope to improve our performances in the local body elections. That the farmer protests were not a factor was proved from the election results in western UP,” Dhankar said. “People, mostly farmers, in western UP have voted for the development work of the BJP. They also supported the party for the improved law and order situation in the state,” he added.
On the panchayat elections, Dhankar said the state government has already issued a notification to ensure 50% representation of women in local bodies. “The matter is in the high court. As soon as the court clears the case, the gram panchayat polls will be conducted.”
State Congress leader Sudhir Choudhary, however, said that the government was in a “wait-and-watch mode as they feared losses in the local body polls due to the prevailing sentiments caused by the farmers’ protest”. “The delay in these elections has stopped the development at the local level,” he said. “But we hope the government will now conduct elections so that local bodies can start delivering development works on the ground,” Choudhary added.
As of now, the Haryana government has appointed officers of the development and panchayat department as administrators to run the panchayats. Sanjay Saini, the former chairman of the Narnaul zila parishad, said, “The local bodies were dissolved last year, despite being the most important element in our democracy. Hope elections will be held soon.”
