Jharkhand: Political parties step up preparations for civic polls next month

Ranchi, Jan 28 (PTI) A day after the announcement of the civic election schedule, political parties in Jharkhand stepped up preparations for the upcoming polls to 48 urban local bodies across the state.

The municipal elections will be held on February 23, and counting will take place on February 27.

ULB polls in Jharkhand are not contested on the party symbols, but candidates are backed by political outfits.

All major political parties, including the JMM, the Congress, and the BJP, are busy deciding which candidates they will support in the municipal polls and contemplating forming an alliance for the top posts in the civic bodies, such as mayor and chairman.

"The BJP is preparing for all the seats as of now. Efforts will be made to ensure that only one candidate fights from the NDA in each seat. If it doesn't materialise, the BJP will go on its own," party spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo told PTI.

He said the selection process for candidates in all 48 urban local bodies was "on the final stage".

The constituents in the ruling JMM-led coalition are also in the process of selecting candidates whom they will support.

"No discussion with our allies has been held for the civic body polls. It is impractical to field one candidate from the ruling coalition in each ward. We may discuss the coalition for top posts. Our president Keshav Mahato Kamlesh is in Delhi. Once he arrives, a discussion over this may take place," said Sonal Shanti, Jharkhand Congress spokesperson.

The JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey said, "If any discussion is proposed by our partners, we will welcome it. So far, the party is preparing separately to support candidates of our choice. The selection of candidates is underway at the district level." The RJD also echoed the voice of Congress and JMM in the context of civic body polls.

The Congress, a constituent of the JMM-led ruling alliance, and the main opposition BJP had demanded that the government hold the civic elections on a party basis.

In 2018, the polls for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor of municipal corporations and chairman and vice chairman of municipal councils were held on party lines.

After coming to power in 2019, the Hemant Soren government changed the rules and decided to conduct the ULB polls on a non-party basis.

The BJP had also demanded that the voting be held using EVMs.

"They have removed the EVMs and are conducting elections using ballot papers. This is shameful. The State Election Commission is clearly under pressure from the government," the BJP spokesperson alleged.

Over 43.33 lakh voters, including 21.26 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections to 1,087 wards in nine municipal corporations, 20 nagar parishads and 19 nagar panchayats. PTI SAN BDC