LUCKNOW: In a major setback to the Mayawati government, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court directed it and the state election commission to hold urban local bodies elections immediately. The state government had deferred elections citing unavailability of population data of Census 2011.
Since the BSP does not have a strong urban base, it has been avoiding holding the urban local bodies polls before the assembly elections scheduled to be held in 2012.
However, the high court ruled that if 2011 Census data is not available, the elections can be held on the basis of 2001 Census.
It also declared government's move to appoint administrators in urban local bodies as illegal. The administrators were appointed on grounds that the term of all the local bodies is ending between by the end of November 30.
The high court was of the view that the term of the local bodies should be counted from the day of first meeting of the house.
However, the state government got some relief from main bench of the Allahabad high court, which on another petition challenging postponement of elections, issued order to hold elections immediately but left it on the government to decide whether it want to hold election on the basis of Census 2001or not.
Significantly, earlier this year the ruling BSP had tried to avoid direct elections by making two amendments in the local bodies poll.
Elections for the municipal corporations and municipalities not to be held on political party symbols and that the elections for the post of mayor and municipal chairpersons will be indirect were the two amendments.
The decision of not holding elections on party symbol was quashed by the court in May. The government has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court. On the other hand, the governor has not approved the UP Urban Local Self Government Act (second amendment) 2011 which supports indirect election for mayor.
Officials of the state government and state election commission said that they will take decision after studying the court's order.
Since the BSP does not have a strong urban base, it has been avoiding holding the urban local bodies polls before the assembly elections scheduled to be held in 2012.
However, the high court ruled that if 2011 Census data is not available, the elections can be held on the basis of 2001 Census.
It also declared government's move to appoint administrators in urban local bodies as illegal. The administrators were appointed on grounds that the term of all the local bodies is ending between by the end of November 30.
The high court was of the view that the term of the local bodies should be counted from the day of first meeting of the house.
However, the state government got some relief from main bench of the Allahabad high court, which on another petition challenging postponement of elections, issued order to hold elections immediately but left it on the government to decide whether it want to hold election on the basis of Census 2001or not.
Significantly, earlier this year the ruling BSP had tried to avoid direct elections by making two amendments in the local bodies poll.
Elections for the municipal corporations and municipalities not to be held on political party symbols and that the elections for the post of mayor and municipal chairpersons will be indirect were the two amendments.
The decision of not holding elections on party symbol was quashed by the court in May. The government has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court. On the other hand, the governor has not approved the UP Urban Local Self Government Act (second amendment) 2011 which supports indirect election for mayor.
Officials of the state government and state election commission said that they will take decision after studying the court's order.
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