Odisha urban local body elections to be held on March 24

For the first time there will be direct election for the posts of Mayor of municipal corporations and chairperson of municipalities and notified area councils.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik casts his vote during the Bhubaneswar Municipality Corporation in 2014.

Close on heels of the panchayat elections in Odisha, the State Election Commission on February 25 announced that elections to urban local bodies in the State will be held on March 24. The elections will be held in 47 municipalities, 59 notified area councils (NACs) and three Municipal Corporations in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Berhampur.

The model code of conduct will remain in force in the 109 urban local bodies from February 25 to March 26, according to the notification issued by the election commission. As per the notification, election officers will issue notice on February 28 and filing of nominations will be done from March 2 to 7. Scrutiny of nominations will be on March 9 and withdrawal will be allowed up to March 14.

Polling will be conducted in 30,030 booths in the municipalities and NACs and 1,407 booths in the three municipal corporations from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 24. Counting of votes will be on March 26, and election for the posts of Vice Chairperson and Deputy Mayor will be held on April 7 and April 8 respectively.

For the first time there will be direct election for the posts of Mayor of municipal corporations and chairperson of municipalities and NACs. Accordingly, two EVMs will be used in each booth in separate compartments – one for Chairperson/Mayor and another for Councillor/Corporator. The NOTA (none of the above) option will be kept for the first time in urban elections in the State.

Elections in most of the municipalities, NACs and municipal corporations are long overdue. The terms of most of the urban local bodies ended in 2018-2019. The term of Berhampur Municipal Corporation ended in September 2018, while the term of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack corporations ended in January and February 2019 respectively.

The post of Mayor of Berhampur Municipal Corporation and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has been reserved for women this time.

In the urban body elections held in 94 urban bodies in 2013-14, the ruling Biju Janata Dal won in 70. The Congress won in 15, independents in six and the Bharatiya Janata Party in two.