Jharkhand Municipal Polls Announced For 48 Urban Local Bodies, Voting On Feb 23

(MENAFN- IANS) Ranchi, Jan 27 (IANS) After a prolonged delay, the Jharkhand Election Commission on Tuesday announced the schedule for elections to 48 urban local bodies in the state. Polling will be held on February 23, while counting of votes will take place on February 27.

State Election Commissioner Alka Tiwari announced the schedule at a press conference here on Tuesday, stating that the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in all 48 municipal areas.

The election process will begin on February 4 with the filing of nominations. Scrutiny of nomination papers will follow, and February 6 has been fixed as the last date for withdrawal.

She said election symbols will be allotted on February 7. Voting will be held in a single phase across the state from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on February 23, and results will be declared on February 27.

The elections will be conducted through ballot papers and on a non-party basis. The commission has clarified that the NOTA option will not be available, making it mandatory for voters to choose from the contesting candidates.

Elections will be held in 48 urban local bodies, including nine municipal corporations, 20 municipal councils, and 19 nagar panchayats, covering a total of 1,087 wards.

Notably, polls in 13 urban bodies have been pending since 2020, while elections in the remaining municipal corporations and councils -- including Ranchi -- have not been held since 2022.

For the first time in the state, reservations have been provided for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, and Other Backward Classes across all municipal bodies.

Among municipal corporations, the Mayor's post in Ranchi has been reserved for Scheduled Tribes. The post will be unreserved in Dhanbad, Bokaro, and Deoghar, while Palamu and Mango have been reserved for women. In Hazaribagh, the Mayor's post is reserved for Extremely Backward Class-I, in Giridih for Scheduled Castes, and in Adityapur for Scheduled Tribes.

In municipal councils, the chairperson's post in Garhwa, Chatra, Dumka, Chaibasa, and Kapali will be unreserved, while Vishrampur, Pakur, Mihijam, Chirkunda, and Jugsalai have been reserved for women.

Municipal elections in major cities such as Ranchi, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, and Deoghar are expected to be closely watched across the state.

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