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Tag: UP panchayat elections

  • Counting of votes in UP panchayat polls to be held on May 2 after Supreme Court’s nod

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: Counting of votes for the panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held on Sunday with the Supreme Court on Saturday refusing to stay the process and the State Election Commission (SEC) saying the candidates and their agents will be allowed to enter the counting centres only if they have tested negative for COVID-19 in the 48 hours prior to the commencement of the counting process or taken both doses of the vaccine.

    In a special urgent hearing on a holiday, a bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and Hrishikesh Roy passed the order after taking note of several notifications and assurances of the SEC that the COVID-19 protocols will be followed at all the 829 counting centres.

    The court directed that there will be a strict curfew in the entire state till Tuesday morning and no victory rallies will be permitted.

    It also asked the SEC to fix the responsibility for observance of COVID-19 protocols at the counting centres on gazetted officers.

    The bench directed the poll panel to preserve the CCTV footage of the counting centres till the Allahabad High Court concludes its hearings on the related petitions before it.

    It also ordered that the government officials, candidates and their agents will have to produce RT-PCR test reports to show that they are COVID-19 negative before entering the counting centres.

    The top court’s direction came on a plea seeking a direction for observance of COVID-19 protocols during counting of votes.

    The Uttar Pradesh Prathmik Shikshak Sangh (UPPSS), in a letter dated April 29 and addressed to the chief minister and the state election commissioner, had said if the counting of votes on May 2 was not cancelled, the teachers will boycott poll duty.

    Meanwhile, UPMSS (Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh) spokesperson RP Mishra said the election officials have been informed that the circumstances in which the polling was held and non-compliance of COVID norms led to the infection spreading to a large number of poll staff and also deaths.

    In this horrific situation, going ahead with the counting of votes is not appropriate.

    It also said the kin of the teachers who succumbed to COVID-19 during poll duty be given a compensation of Rs 50 lakh each.

    A spokesperson of the Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh Virendra Mishra told PTI that the organisation has given a call to boycott the counting of votes.

    When he was informed that the Supreme Court has refused to grant a stay on the counting of votes on May 2, he said the court is doing its job, but “we have to protect our own lives”.

    “We are not commenting on the court, but seeing the rigid approach of the government, the teachers will not go for the counting of votes,” he said.

    On April 27, taking note of reports about the death of government employees due to COVID during panchayat poll duty, the Allahabad High Court had asked the SEC why action may not be taken against it and its officials for the same.

    A two-judge bench of Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Ajit Kumar passed the order on a suo motu public interest litigation matter on the spread of the coronavirus and the condition of the state’s quarantine centres.

    When contacted, BJP MLC Hari Singh Dhillon, who had urged the chief minister to postpone the poll results until the COVID situation improves, said some teachers came to him highlighting their plight.

    Asked to comment on the teachers’ call to boycott the counting of votes, SK Singh, Officer on Special Duty at the SEC, said, “The respective district magistrates will have to take a decision.”

    On whether the boycott call would delay the counting process, he evaded a direct reply and said all preparations have been made to ensure a smooth counting.

    Singh said the SEC does not have a centralised database of the number of teachers involved in the counting process.

    “The counting of votes will begin at 8 am and continue till all the ballots are counted. The entire process may take two days,” a senior SEC official told PTI.

    Generally, counting of votes takes place in eight-hour shifts, he said.

    The SEC said at every counting centre, a health desk will be established, where a doctor will be present with medicines.

    Those showing symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, cold and cough will not be allowed at the counting centres.

    Everyone entering the counting centre has to undergo thermal scanning, the SEC said.

    It categorically stated that there will be a complete ban on victory processions.

    Directions have been issued to make arrangements for sanitiser, soap and water at the counting centres, and everyone visiting the centres will have to compulsorily wear a mask and maintain social distancing.

    Voting for the panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh ended on April 29 with a 75-per cent voter turnout in the final phase.

    Lakhs of candidates were in the fray for over 7.32 lakh seats in the gram panchayat wards, 58,176 in the gram panchayats, 75,852 in the kshetra panchayats and 3,050 in the zila panchayats in the statewide elections held over four phases.

    A total of 3.19 lakh candidates have been elected unopposed, the SEC informed.

    The high court had asked the state government to conclude the panchayat poll process by May 25.

  • ‘Crime against humanity’: Priyanka slams UP govt, SEC for conducting panchayat polls amid COVID crisis

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Slamming the Uttar Pradesh government for conducting panchayat elections amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said what is happening in the state is nothing less than a “crime against humanity” and the state election commission (SEC) is “playing along”.

    The Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh claimed that 700 teachers, including one who was pregnant and forced to attend poll duty, have died in the state.

    ALSO READ | Seven arrested for holding some poll officials hostage during UP panchayat polls

    Polling for the four-phase panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh ended on Thursday.

    A voter turnout of 75 per cent was recorded in the final phase.

    “These elections have been conducted in almost 60,000 gram sabhas of UP without any thought of the catastrophic onslaught of the second wave,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a series of tweets.

    Meetings were conducted, campaigning continued and the spread of COVID-19 in UP’s villages is now “unstoppable”, she said.

    “People are dying in numbers far, far above the deceitful official figures.

    ALSO READ | Supreme Court refuses to stay counting of votes for Uttar Pradesh​ panchayat polls

    People are dying in homes across rural UP, and these deaths are not being counted as COVID (deaths) because people aren’t being tested,” she claimed.

    Priyanka Gandhi further alleged that the state government’s actions are designed to cover up the truth and terrorise both the public and the medical community, which is working tirelessly to save lives.

    “What is happening in UP is nothing less than a crime against humanity and the SEC, UP is playing along,” she said.

    Earlier this week, Priyanka Gandhi had demanded compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the families of government employees who allegedly died due to COVID-19 while performing their duty in the Uttar Pradesh panchayat polls.

  • UP panchayat elections: Second phase sees nearly 68 per cent polling

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: Nearly 68 per cent polling was recorded on Monday during the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh panchayat polls in 20 districts, according to the state election commission.

    Of the 20 districts, polling details of 14 have been compiled. While Lalitpur recorded the highest polling percentage of 80.95, Pratapgarh recorded the lowest at 60.06, the commission said.

    Bijnore recorded 73.30, Gonda 66.42, Budaun 73.57, Azamgarh 63.59, Lakhimpur Kheri 77.98, Varanasi 68, Amroha 78.74, Sultanpur 64.50, Mainpuri 74.29, Kannauj 73.81, Gautam Buddh Nagar 75.32, Muzaffarnagar 72.58, Etah 73.24, Etawah 74.22, Chitrakoot 64.03, Baghpat 74.84 and Lucknow 72.

    Over 3.48 lakh candidates were in the fray for over 2.23 lakh posts.

    For the 787 seats of zila panchayat member, there were 11,483 candidates and for the 19,653 seats of kshetra panchayat, there were 85,232 candidates.

    For gram panchayats, there were 1,21,906 candidates for 14,897 posts and for the gram panchayat wards, there were 1,30,305 candidates for 1,87,781 posts.

    More than 2.31 lakh poll officials were deployed by the SEC for a smooth conduct of the panchayat polls.

    In the first phase, which was held on April 15, polling percentage of 71 was recorded.

    The 2015 panchayat polls had registered a polling percentage of 72.11, according to the commission.

  • COVID-19: Only five people allowed for door-to-door campaigning during UP panchayat polls

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: In view of the coronavirus situation in Uttar Pradesh, the State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday said not more than five people will be allowed to accompany a candidate during door-to-door campaigning for the panchayat elections.

    A letter in this regard has been sent to all the district magistrates.

    Additional Election Commissioner Ved Prakash Verma said a three-member team will be formed under the additional district magistrates to ensure the directives issued by the SEC are being followed.

    At the district-level, the chief medical officers have been made nodal officers and stress has been laid on COVID-19 prevention.

    The SEC has emphasised on provision of sanitiser, soaps and water for the candidates while they come to file their nomination papers.

    It has also been decided that only one candidate will be allowed to enter the room of the election officer.

    Similarly, during polling, the voters will have to put up a mask and maintain social distancing.

    Instructions have also been issued to make circles at a distance of six-feet at the polling centres.

    Verma said COVID-19 norms will also be followed during counting of votes and added that PPE kits will also be arranged as per requirement.

    The Allahabad High Court had recently asked the state government to complete the panchayat election process by May 25.

    Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh reported 542 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the infection tally in the state to 6,08,076, the UP government said in a statement.

    Of the fresh COVID-19 cases, state capital Lucknow reported 147 cases, among others A COVID-19 patient died in Kanpur taking the total number of fatalities in the state to 8,760.

    The count of active COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 3,396, the statement said.

  • Panchayat polls: HC asks Yogi government to take 2015 as base year for seat quota

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Monday asked the UP government to follow 2015 as the base year for deciding the reservation and rotation of seats for village panchayats, blocks and districts and complete the poll process by May 25.

    After quashing the February 11 order, a Lucknow bench of the high court also asked the government to issue a fresh order providing for the reservation on the basis of the 2015 population.

    A division bench, comprising Justice Rituraj Awasthi and Manish Mathur, also directed the state to complete the reservation process by March 27.

    It passed the order after the state Advocate General Reghvendra Singh conceded the government’s mistake in providing for the reservation of seats on the 1995 population instead of the 2015’s.

    Conceding the mistake, Singh told the court that the government itself was interested in reserving seats on the basis of the 2015 population.

    While asking the government to issue a fresh order for the reservation for various category of candidates, including those belonging to the scheduled castes and tribes and other backward classes besides the women, the bench also extended the deadline for completing the panchayat elections by May 25.

    The bench had on Saturday ordered interim stay on the reservation process while hearing a PIL filed by Ajay Kumar and had issued notices to the State Election Commission and the government to file their replies by March 15. 

    The state government counsel on Monday told the bench that it had no objection in taking 2015 as the base year for deciding the reservation of seats by rotation.

    During the argument, law officer Raghvendra Singh told the bench that the Allahabad High Court had on February 4, 2021 directed for completing the whole election process by May 15, 2021 but in view of the fresh exercise to be taken up as per the Lucknow bench’s order, some more time would be required.

    Allowing the government counsel’s plea, the bench extended gthe deadline for completing the Panchayat elections by 10 days, fixing May 25 as its deadline.

    The bench passed its order on a public interest lawsuit by a Lucknow resident, Ajai Kumar, who had challenged the legality of the government’s February 11 order, which had provided for the reservation of seats for the panchayat elections as per the 1995 population.

    The petitioner claimed that it was in violation of an earlier order dated September 15 which had fixed 2015 as the base year.

    The petitioner’s lawyer Mohammad Altaf Mansoor had questioned the legality of the government’s decision, terming it against a September 2015 notification, which had provided 2015 as the base year, considering the changes in the demographic situation in UP.

    Advocate Mansoor also argued that the February 11, 2021 notification provided reservation exceeding 50 per cent ceiling imposed by the apex court, rendering the order illegal.

    The previous polls were held as per the September 2015 order, the petitioner said.

    In an order in February, the Allahabad HC had expressed concern over the delay in holding panchayat polls and had directed the government to complete the rotation of reserved seats by March 17.

    In his petition, Kumar had contended that the UP Panchayat Raj (Reservation and Allotment of Seats and Offices) Rules 1994 provided 1995 as the base year for providing reservation on seats.

    But the government issued a notification on September 16, 2015 which set 2015 as the base year as per state’s demography then and, accordingly, the 2015 Panchayat elections were held on the basis of the 2015 population.

    But, strangely, the government decided to follow 1995 as the base year in the 2021 election without any rhyme and reason, while September 16, 2015 order was still in existence, he said.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Semi-final before Assembly polls: Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections likely in March

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Already delayed, the three-tier rural local body polls are likely to take place in Uttar Pradesh between March 15 and 30. However, the official announcement of dates is likely to come around February 15.

    According to Panchayati Raj Minister Bhupendra Chaudhary, the work of delimitation of wards is under process while reorganization of gram sabhas has been completed. The four districts of Moradabad, Gonda, Sambhal and Gautam Budh Nagar are under full delimitation and the work for districts under partial delimitation is going on.

    The tenure of 60,000 gram panchayats of the state had ended on December 25. The delay in conducting the polls in time has come amid the pandemic as the revision of the voters’ list and other modalities which are being conducted now could not be held as per the schedule. Talking to mediapersons, Panchayati Raj Minister stated that by January 14, the delimitation work would be completed, following which the work of reservation will be concluded. As of now, the reservation for gram panchayat seats was fixed at district headquarters. However, this time the process has been moved online. The reservation of seats for gram sabha, Block Development Council, Gram Pradhan and Zilla panchayat members in gram panchayats will be decided from Lucknow. The population of revenue villages will be assessed to implement reservation in panchayats.

    The state government has appointed assistant development officers of districts as panchayat administrators of their districts, vesting in them the powers of panchayat committees and village panchayat heads following the expiry of the terms of village panchayats on December 25.

    Meanwhile, the BJP will chalk out its strategy for the coming panchayat elections at a meeting on Sunday which is likely to be attended by national vice president and in-charge of state affairs in the party, Radha Mohan Singh.

    However, the panchayat elections in UP are being considered the semi-final ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections in the state. With an eye on the Assembly elections, various political parties have stepped up their preparations for the panchayat polls.

    The fight for the upcoming panchayat elections is set to become more intense by the day. While the ruling BJP is up against the SP, BSP and Congress, new rivals in the form of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Shiv Sena would make the rural local body elections even more interesting.

    After the AAP of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena is all set to enter the fray in the Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections.

    The Shiv Sena has sought applications from all the districts for selection of candidates. Earlier, the AAP announced it would contest the panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh.