Summary:
Bhopal, May 26 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangu Bhai Patel on Thursday gave his consent to an ordinance sent by the state government proposing direct election of mayors in municipal corporations, a senior minister said.
The ordinance also stipulates indirect election of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of municipal councils and nagar panchayats in the state.
“(After nod to the ordinance) mayors of municipal corporations (big cities) will be directly elected by people, while chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of municipal councils and nagar panchayats (small towns) will be elected by corporators chosen by voters," Madhya Pradesh urban administration and development minister Bhupendra Singh said.
The state government had sent an ordinance proposing this system of election to the governor and the latter has given his consent to it, Singh said.
“After a gazette notification is published, this proposal will be sent to the State Election Commission (SEC) for implementation,” the minister said.
There are a total of 413 urban local bodies in the state - 16 municipal corporations, 99 municipal councils and 298 nagar panchayats, an official said.
The Supreme Court recently permitted reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local body elections in Madhya Pradesh, paving the way for holding polls to more than 23,000 such bodies which are functioning without elected representatives for the last over two years.
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