Straight Talk
Prof.Mahesh Panse.
Elections for 17 Legislative Assembly seats under the Local Self-Government Institution of the State’s Legislative Council have been announced. These include two by-elections and some other elections for Legislative Assembly seats that have been pending for many years.
The votes of Municipal Councils, Municipal Committees, Zilla Parishad members along with Panchayat Samiti Chairpersons from Wardha, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts will decide the fate of one Legislative Council MLA However, it is almost certain that the administration will violate the voting rights granted by the Constitution to Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti office bearers for the Local Self-Government Institution elections.
Is this apathy towards the rural public or political nautanki? Deliberation on this has now begun. Because in Chandrapur, Wardha and Gadchiroli districts, since Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections have not been held for many years, the Zilla Parishad members, office bearers and Panchayat Samiti Chairpersons who lead the rural areas will be deprived of their voting rights.
In such a situation, opinions have started being expressed that it is unfortunate for the Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Wardha Local Self-Government Institution Legislative Council election to take place.
In Chandrapur Zilla Parishad, the number of member votes is 57 while 15 Panchayat Samiti Chairpersons are voters. Since Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections have not taken place in Chandrapur district, the value of 72 votes has become zero.
Along with Gadchiroli Zilla Parishad, the fundamental right of 12 Panchayat Samiti Chairpersons in the district will become worthless. Along with Wardha Zilla Parishad members, the 8 Panchayat Samiti Chairpersons here will not be able to exercise their fundamental right to vote granted by the Constitution.
In the Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Wardha district Local Self-Government Institution Legislative Council elections, now only 977 voters will exercise their right to vote.
It is said that if the voting rights of Zilla Parishad members and Panchayat Samiti Chairpersons had not been snatched away, perhaps this number would have increased by 150 to 200 and the picture would have been different.
Recently, Municipal Committee and Nagar Panchayat elections were completed in the state. However, the question that blocking the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections is not a violation of the rights and entitlements of the rural public remains, and now since the representatives of the rural public will not get a place in the Local Self-Government Institution elections, there will be a huge uproar and political analysts say that its “side effects” will be seen in the upcoming elections.
