State Election Commissioner UPS Madan said the Maharashtra government had requested that the elections be postponed in view of the spread of COVID-19 infection.
The upcoming elections to local bodies in Maharashtra have been deferred till further orders as a precautionary measure to check the spread of coronavirus, the state election commission said on Tuesday.
State Election Commissioner UPS Madan said the Maharashtra government had requested that the elections be postponed in view of the spread of COVID-19 infection. The election commission has also stayed the poll-related process, Madan said.
Maharashtra has recorded 39 positive cases including among three foreigners and one death due to the disease.
"As per a Bombay High Court order dated August 10, 2005, the SEC has powers to postpone elections in view of natural calamity or a sudden situation. Accordingly, the SEC has stayed the process of ward delimitation, voter list (updation) and other activities related to elections from today (Tuesday) onwards," Madan said.
Elections for 1570 gram panchayats across 19 districts was scheduled to be held on March 31. The nomination process for the polls was already completed.
Elections to Aurangabad and Navi Mumbai municipal corporations and for by-elections to one seat each in Nashik, Dhule, Parbhani and Thane municipal corporations were also to be held soon. The process of finalising voter lists for these elections is also stayed, Madan said.
The process for delimitation of wards in the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation, and municipal councils/Nagar panchayats of Ambernath, Kulgaon-Badlapur, Wadi, Rajgurunagar, Bhadgaon, Varangaon, Kaij, Bhokar, and Movad is stayed as well, the State Election Commissioner said.
The process was also stayed for Bhandara and Gondia zilla parishads, 15 panchayat samitis under their jurisdiction and 12,000 gram panchayats.
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