BJP allegedly postpones municipal elections fearing loss, claims state Congress chief

Bhopal, September 9 – In a fiery statement, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party for delaying the scheduled municipal by‑elections across the state. Patwari said the decision to shelve the polls for municipal corporations, municipalities and town panchayats was driven by a fear of losing the electorate’s confidence.

He highlighted that the State Election Commission’s notice, dated September 7, specifically ordered the suspension of urban local body elections while allowing district and block‑level panchayat elections to go ahead as planned.

"If the BJP were confident in its popularity, it would not resort to postponement," Patwari asserted, adding that the move creates a double standard within the same electoral framework.

Patwari argued that election timing should not be dictated by political convenience, reminding that the commission is a constitutional authority tasked with ensuring free and fair polls, not a tool for party strategy.

He raised practical questions about why earlier assessments of security needs, weather conditions, disaster relief duties and upcoming festivals were apparently ignored when the original election calendar was announced.

Concluding, Patwari warned that the decision reflects pressure from party leadership and that the voters of Madhya Pradesh will soon see the real impact of postponing democracy’s cornerstone – the election.