Elections to urban local bodies in the state are likely to be held in May this year.
The state election commission, which conducts elections of these bodies and panchayats, has fixed May 14 and May 28 as dates for conducting the elections. It has sent the proposal to the state government for final approval.
"The dates will be announced only after we receive the consent of the state government," state election commission secretary Durgesh Nandan told The Telegraph on Wednesday.
The commission has sent the proposal for conducting elections to 116 urban local bodies: nine municipal corporations, 38 nagar parishads and 69 nagar panchayats.
There are a total of 141 urban local bodies in the state of which a dozen are municipal corporations, 49 are nagar parishads and 80 are nagar panchayats. Elections are due in those bodies whose term is coming to an end.
Urban local bodies are categorised on the basis of population. Urban or semi-urban areas having 12,000 to 40,000 people are under nagar panchayats, urban areas with population in the range of 40,000 to 2 lakh are under nagar parishads and urban areas having more than two lakh people are given the status of municipal corporations.
POLL CALL
Recommended dates for municipal corporation elections
♦ May 14: Biharsharif, Ara, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Munger ♦ May 28: Patna & Chhapra
According to the proposal sent by the commission, election for seven municipal corporations, 31 nagar parishads and 67 nagar panchayats would be held on May 14 and counting of votes would happen on May 16. Notification for this phase of the elections would be issued on April 7.
For the remaining urban local bodies where elections are to be held, the commission has recommended May 28 as the polling day and May 30 as counting date. The notification for these elections would be issued on April 28.
Voting would take place from 7am to 5pm, says the commission recommendation, and counting of votes would start at 8am.
Unlike the panchayat elections where votes are cast using ballots, electronic voting machines (EVMs) are used in urban local body elections. The EVMs help in early declaration of results.
A state government source said: "There are some proposals to change the current status of a few urban local bodies where elections are to be held. Once a final call on this issue is taken, the government would send its approval for the election schedule."
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