Gujarat civic body elections: OBC quota, seat rotation and women’s reservation to change dynamics

Gandhinagar: Implementation of 27% reservation for other backward castes (OBCs), rotation of seats reserved for candidates from scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs), and 50% reservation of all seats for women candidates will drastically change the dynamics of the forthcoming elections to municipal corporations, municipalities, district panchayats and taluka panchayats.According to sources in the State Election Commission (SEC), it is likely that most of the sitting candidates will be replaced as a result of OBC reservation, the third rotation of SC and ST seats, and the fact that 50% of all seats will be reserved for women candidates.
"A sizeable number of sitting municipal councillors, as well as members of district and taluka panchayats, will have to make way for OBC candidates in the polls. Until now, 10% of seats of civic bodies were reserved for OBC candidates, which increased to 27%," said a source.According to officials, the upcoming elections will witness the third round of rotation of seats reserved for candidates from SCs and STs. Sources said the last census was conducted in 2011, and the 2021 census was not conducted because of the Covid-19 pandemic. "Municipal corporations had two rotations of SC and ST seats in 2015 and 2021. Since there was no decadal census, there will be a third round of seat rotation for SCs and STs, requiring political parties to make the required changes in candidates," said officials.In addition, in the newly formed nine municipal corporations which will go to polls for the first time, a delimitation exercise was completed and notifications issued for the formation of new wards. This will also result in several candidates being replaced, said sources.The municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar, along with the newly formed municipal corporations of Nadiad, Surendranagar, Anand, Navsari, Vapi, Morbi, Gandhidham, Porbandar and Mehsana, will go to polls in the coming weeks.In addition, elections are to be held in several municipalities, district panchayats and taluka panchayats. According to official sources, a notification announcing the election schedule of these local bodies is expected to be made later this month. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Holi wishes, messages and quotes !