Haryana likely to conduct civic body elections in Feb

Chandigarh: After the go ahead from the govt, the Haryana State Election Commission (SEC) is all set to conduct the elections to 27 civic bodies, including three municipal corporations and an equal number of municipal councils, in the first week of Feb. The commission is expected to release the draft electoral rolls next week. Objections will be called for the preparation of the final list of electoral rolls by the first week of Jan. Since one week’s time is mandatory between the publishing of the final list of electoral rolls and the announcements of polls, it is expected that the poll schedule could be announced by the second week, latest by Jan 14, sources said.Enquiries revealed that the three municipal corporations expected to go to polls include Gurugram, Faridabad, and Manesar, while the municipal councils where the elections will be held include Ambala Cantonment, Pataudi Mandi, and Sirsa.The commission is expected to announce the election schedule in the second week of Jan if all goes as per the plan. As of now, the deputy commissioners, who also hold the positions of district election officers, have been directed to complete the formalities related to final ward-wise electoral rolls by the first week of Jan.According to sources, the govt has recommended elections to 34 civic bodies. Elections for the remaining civic bodies, as well as for the mayoral posts in Ambala and Sonipat, can be held in the second round.Political parties have also started their preparations for the civic polls. Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini and Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Kaushik on Friday chaired a joint meeting of the core group of the party in Delhi to chalk out a strategy for the civic polls. After the meeting, the two called on senior BJP leaders, including Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Lok Sabha MP Biplab Deb.Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Udai Bhan also indicated that the party was gearing up for the municipal elections in Gurugram, Faridabad, and Manesar. The party will decide on a strategy for participation in the elections to municipal councils and municipal committees, he added.Last week, AAP Haryana unit chief Sushil Gupta, the former Rajya Sabha MP, had announced their participation in the civic polls.

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