Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Shri Shivinder Singh Brar, State Election Commissioner, stated that elections to the six Municipal Corporations, 3 bye-elections in 3 wards of two Municipal Corporations of Jalandhar, Patiala will be held on 22.02.2015.
Shri Brar further stated that the elections to Municipal Corporations of Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Phagwara, Moga, SAS Nagar and Bathinda and in addition to bye-elections to Ward No.49 (General) of Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, Ward No.8 (BC) and 46(General) of Municipal Corporation, Patiala will be held on 22nd February, 2015. The six Corporations constitute 300 wards, 849 booths, with a total electorate of 7,91,765 voters approximately. Elaborating the State Election Commissioner stated that the Municipal Corporations have a total of 300 wards of which 145 are General, 77 General Women, 41 Scheduled Caste, 25 Scheduled Caste (Women) and 12 Backward Class.
The Commission Notification in this regard will be issued on 07.02.2015 and the Model Code of Conduct will come into effect from 07.02.2015 in the areas that fall within the jurisdiction of the respective Municipal Corporations and the three wards of the two Municipal Corporations where bye-elections are to be held.
The last date for making nominations for Municipal Corporations and bye elections of different wards shall be 11.02.2015, date of scrutiny shall be 12.02.2015, date of withdrawal of candidates is 13.02.2015. The poll, if necessary, shall be conducted on22.02.2015. The counting of votes of the Municipal Corporations and the three wards of different urban local bodies will take place at 10.00 AM on 26.02.2015.
The State Election Commissioner stated that all required election materials have been dispatched to the districts. The EVMs are currently under inspection for being declared election worthy. The DGP, Punjab has been requested to ensure proper and adequate security for the electoral process. The State Election Commission have set up registers to record every complaint received which when received will be properly diarised and maintained in Commission record, a photocopy of which would be sent to the quarter concerned for report. All complaints would be fully followed up. Shri Brar stated that the Commission wishes to inform all contestants that the elections shall be free, fair and very impartial.
Shri Brar stated that it was a matter of satisfaction for the Commission that for the general elections to Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads held in the months of May and July, 2013 not even a single writ petition had been moved to the Punjab & Haryana High Court as opposed to several thousands which had been filed against elections conducted in the previous years. The Commission is hopeful that the same situation shall prevail in these elections as well.
