A day after the State Election Commission (SEC) ordered revision of electoral rolls till23 June which has delayed the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) polls, the issue has now snowballed into major controversy with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party blaming each other for the same.
Shimla BJP MLA Suresh Bhardwaj termed SEC’s decision a delay tactic taken at the behest of the Congress government and said this won’t save the party from impending defeat in the polls.
“It is clearly mentioned in the Municipal Corporation and Local Bodies Act that the term of MC is fixed and these elections could not be delayed for any reason,” he said, adding the poll process should have been completed by June 4 when the term of SMC is scheduled to expire.
Bhardwaj accused state Election Commissioner P Mitra working at the behest of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to delay the process of SMC polls and called for his suspension for not following constitutional guidelines. “Former Chief Secretary, P Mitra is working under government pressure and the SMC polls had been delayed after his meeting with the Chief Minister at his office last evening,” he said.
Bhardwaj said by extending the date of holding elections, the government is interfering in democratic processes as Congress is panicky after Shimla witnessed unprecedented support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally.
“Citing discrepancies in electoral rolls, the polls can’t be delayed. We had informed the SEC about the same in the month of January but no action was taken by the poll body,” he added.
Congress party, however, termed the allegations baseless and said SMC in a special session convened few days had demanded revision of electoral rolls.
“The councillors of all parties including BJP, CPM and Congress had called for revising the electoral and the SEC’s decision was based on the SMC’s demand,” Congress spokesperson I N Mehta said.
He categorically rejected the BJP’s claim that the party is afraid of Modi wave in the polls.
CPM state secretariat member and SMC Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar supported the move of SEC for revising the electoral polls and said it was their party who had raised the issue of discrepancies.
“The decision was taken after we raised the issue. But the major concern now relates to MC house as to what happens to the elected house,” he said.
Panwar said the SEC should now hold referendum to take the opinion of people as to whether they want the house to be run by an administrator or whether they want the present house to continue till the polls are held.