The state election commission (SEC) of Bihar on Wednesday announced the schedule for conducting the elections for urban local bodies (ULBs) in two phases on December 18 and 28, even as former deputy chief minister and BJP leader Sushil Modi questioned the validity of the dedicated commission notified by the state government, as per an earlier order of the apex court, to ascertain caste-based backwardness of each constituency and accordingly provide of reservations in the polls.
In a letter sent to all the district magistrates, SEC secretary Mukesh Kumar has stated that counting of the votes will take place on the second day after the polling in each phase. HT has seen the letter.
Officials said necessary modifications in reservation of seats, as ordered by the Patna High Court in the light of recommendations of a dedication commission, will be done.
The elections were earlier scheduled to be held on October 10 and 20.
Regarding the Supreme Court’s direction on validity of the extremely backward classes (EBC) commission as the “dedicated commission”, the officials said the state had no information of any such case being heard by the apex court. “We are not party to the case,” said an official, who did not wish to be named.
At a press conference in Patna held earlier in the day, BJP’s Modi said the SC had ruled on November 28 that the EBC commission cannot be not notified as the dedicated commission and blamed chief minister Nitish Kumar for the legal tussle over the issue which was delaying the polls.
The elections are to be held for as many as 224 ULBs, which are currently superseded after the expiry of their term.
