Kohima: Nagaland Pradesh Congress has
demanded conduct of early elections to urban local bodies in
the state which have been pending for over past two
years.
The opposition party today demanded that the state
government immediately conduct the polls, saying that the
party was ready to face the elections to municipal and town
councils in the state for which the high court has already
asked the government to hold the exercise by January.
NPCC sources said the party had welcomed the recent ruling
of Guwahati high court which directed the government to
conduct the elections as per Nagaland Municipal Acts 2005
which stipulates 33 per cent reservation for women.
When the tenures of elected urban local bodies ended in
2010, the state government made administrative arrangement to
run the municipal bodies that included former members as
advisers. But it deferred the elections indefinitely on the
pretext of on-going Naga peace process which it does not want
to disturb.
Earlier, elections were conducted without any reservation
for women.
However, disposing a petition by Naga Mothers Association
(NMA) and others, the high court recently ruled that the
election should be conducted by January with the provision of
33 per cent reservation of seats for women.
PTI
