Opposition up in arms over Maya move to bar parties from civic polls

On Wednesday,a day before the deadline for filing objections,political parties somehow got hold of the document,resulting in an outcry of protests from the Congress,SP and the BJP. All three parties alleged ulterior motives on part of the government to capture the local bodies by backdoor.

Lucknow Mayor Dinesh Sharma,who is also the chairman of the UP Mayors’ Council,said neither had the government consulted him in the drafting of the rules,nor sent him a copy of the notification.

Alok Ranjan,Principal Secretary of Urban Development,however,said: “We had published the notification and it was available for public. Still,there is a day’s time left to submit objections and we would welcome if there are any.”

The opposition parties alleged that the government also wanted to discontinue direct election of mayors and chairmen of local bodies,and introduce indirect elections by members. But Alok Ranjan said he had no such information. “It seems some provision (of the notification) has been misunderstood,” he said.

The rule in question — Rule 4 (2) of the “The Uttar Pradesh Municipalities (Election of Members,Corporators,Chairmen and Mayors) Rules 2010,” says: “The election to the post of members,corporators,chairperson and mayor of the municipalities shall not be contested on the basis of political parties.”

The Congress,the BJP and the SP say the move shows the insecurity of the Mayawati government in view of the BSP’s weak base in urban areas.

They also said this was why the BSP had not fielded any candidate in the last municipal elections,held in 2006.

“The BSP wants to make such rules to manipulate municipalities,” said Akhilesh Pratap Singh,spokes person of the UP Congress.“Anotification inviting objections should normally be published in newspapers but nothing of the sort was done in this case.” He said they had requested all political parties to come forward and oppose the move.

State Congress president Rita Bahugua Joshi shot off a letter to Chief Minister Mayawati,calling the move unconstitutional and undemocratic and requesting its withdrawal.

The Congress alleged that a proposal to do away with the practice of direct election of mayors and chairmen of municipalities will be brought before the cabinet soon.

Mayor Dinesh Sharma,who belongs to the BJP,said if necessary,his party would take legal recourse.

Like the Congress,Sharma too alleged that the government wanted to introduce indirect election of mayors and chairman by members of local bodies. “If municipal elections are not fought on political lines,then parties like BSP could easily usemuscleandmoneypowerto influence corporators to have their own men elected asmayorsandchairmen,”Sharmasaid.

Rajendra Chaudhary,SP spokesman,said party leaders will meet the Governorto seek his intervention. Alok Ranjan said the rules,if approved,will be applicable to all 630 local bodies,which include 13 municipalities,194 nagarpalika parishads and the remaining nagarpanchayats.

Of the 12 municipal corporations,the BJP has Mayors in eight,Congress in three and SP in one. One corporation is yet to be constituted.