State poll commissioner crucial for civic elections: SEC officials

Pune: The state govt will have to appoint a state election commissioner soon if it is keen to conduct the local body elections.
The position of the state election commissioner is vacant since September 5, following UPS Madan's retirement. Senior officials from the State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday said filling up the post had become crucial given the upcoming municipal corporation and gram panchayat polls, likely to be scheduled in the coming year.
"The new govt needs to initiate the selection process and appoint the SEC immediately," a senior state election official said. He said names of several former bureaucrats were in discussion.
The general administration department (GAD) officials indicated that an appointment order would be issued once the govt finalised its choice for the position. "Once the govt finalises the name, we will issue the order. MAdan's term ended in September and assembly elections were announced on October 15. The polls were held last month. Now, with the new govt in place, the name of the state election commissioner should be finalised soon," said one among them.
Opposition leaders criticised the three-month vacancy in the key post. Senior Congress leaders said SEC, which oversees local body elections across the state, remaining headless was alarming.
Elections have not been held at 27 municipal corporations, 243 municipal councils, 37 nagar panchayats, 26 zilla parishads and 289 panchayat samitis in Maharashtra because of several petitions, including providing OBC quota in civic bodies pending before the Supreme Court.
Pune: The state govt will have to appoint a state election commissioner soon if it is keen to conduct the local body elections.
The position of the state election commissioner is vacant since September 5, following UPS Madan's retirement. Senior officials from the State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday said filling up the post had become crucial given the upcoming municipal corporation and gram panchayat polls, likely to be scheduled in the coming year.
"The new govt needs to initiate the selection process and appoint the SEC immediately," a senior state election official said. He said names of several former bureaucrats were in discussion.
The general administration department (GAD) officials indicated that an appointment order would be issued once the govt finalised its choice for the position. "Once the govt finalises the name, we will issue the order. MAdan's term ended in September and assembly elections were announced on October 15. The polls were held last month. Now, with the new govt in place, the name of the state election commissioner should be finalised soon," said one among them.
Opposition leaders criticised the three-month vacancy in the key post. Senior Congress leaders said SEC, which oversees local body elections across the state, remaining headless was alarming.
Elections have not been held at 27 municipal corporations, 243 municipal councils, 37 nagar panchayats, 26 zilla parishads and 289 panchayat samitis in Maharashtra because of several petitions, including providing OBC quota in civic bodies pending before the Supreme Court.