Correspondent, Gandhinagar

State Election Commissioner of Gujarat, Shri Varsh Sinha today announced the schedule of local self governance body polls in presence of media persons in Gandhinagar.

According to this announcement, polling for 6 municipal corporations will be held on 22 November, while polling for municipalities, district and taluka panchayats will take place on 29 November.

Model code of conduct has been effective with this announcement.

Municipal Corporation elections
Notification issuance: 2 November
Last date to file nominations: 7 November
Scrutiny of nominations: 9 November
Last date of Withdrawal of nominations: 10 November
Polling: 22 November Sunday 8am to 5pm
Re-polling if necessary: 24 November
Counting of votes: 26 November

Nagar Palika(Municipalities) and district/taluka Panchayat elections
Issuance of notification: 5 November
Last date to file nomination: 10 November
Scrutiny of nominations: 14 November
Last date of withdrawal of nominations: 16 November
Polling: 29 November, Sunday, 8am to 5pm
Re-polling if necessary: 1 December
Counting: 2 December

State Election Commissioner Shri Varsh Sinha after making announcement of the schedule of local body polls in Gujarat today said the procedure of local body polls started from March this year with delimitation process which needs to take place once on 10 years. We organized about 67 zonal meetings with political parties before finalizing the delimitation.

He said, “we are going to introduce e-dashboard which will avail us updates of data automatically.”

He said, “like the last elections, we are going to make available online voting system for six municipal corporation polls. We are also going to introduce a mobile app for registration of e-voting.”

He said, “State election commission keeps purchasing newer electronic voting machines. As there’s multi ward system this time with four candidates in each ward, we have procured Rs 48 crore electronic voting machines(evms) from Bell company. Also for regular need, we have purchased Rs 25 crore for panchayat polls. We will be able to use them on permanent basis.”

He further said, “we have created training modules for professional training. Returning Officers, presiding officers, polling officers will be given handbooks prepared by us.”

State Election Commission’s Secretary Shri Mahesh Joshi said, “first level checking procedure of evms has been completed at district levels.For us, one ward of municipality or municipal corporation is considered a constituency. In Municipal Corporation, we have 143 constituencies(wards). Appointments of Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers for each ward has been finalized. On Collector’s proposal, polling booths are finalized. This primary preparation has been completed.”

Describing the scale of elections, Joshi said, “524 wards of 56 municipalities, 988 wards of district panchayats and 4,778 wards of taluka panchayats will go for polling. Thus in total 6,433 total Matdar Mandal will go for polling.”

In total, there will be 95,90,000 voters will be able to cast their vote in municipal corporation polls, 36,59,000 voters in municipality polls and 2.23 crore voters in panchayat polls. Total figures of all voters covered in these elections will be 3.55 crore therefore.

There will be total 45,991 polling stations. 813 polling officers have been appointed. 1062 assistant polling officers are also appointed. Each polling station will have 4-5 persons team as polling staff. In total 2,29,955 persons will be on duty as polling staff excluding police.

Joshi said the e-dashboard facility that has been developed for the first time through National Informatics Center will update the figures and provide zonal report every two hours.

He said training modules for polling staff has been prepared as per the guidance by central election commission.

When asked whether there’s stay on holding municipal corporation elections from the Supreme Court, Shri Sinha replied that the judgement has been studied and it has been found that there’s no stay on elections, but there’s stay on earlier judgement.

Sinha said there will be no provision of NOTA or compulsory voting in these elections.

He said the state election commission is in consultation with state home department for free and fair elections.

When asked whether the results of Municipal Corporation elections will affect the voters in Municipalities and district/taluka panchayat polls, Sinha replied that voters are different in both these elections. He also said that this is conventional practice. It should be mentioned that Municipal Corporation poll results will be out on 26 November. Two days after this, on November 29, there will be polling for municipalities and panchayats.

When asked why NOTA will not be effective in these elections, Shri Sinha replied that if we had made provision of compulsory voting that NOTA could be introduced, but we are not going for any of two.

Elections where?

Municipalities(Nagarpalikas)

Dholka, Amreli, Anand, Petlad, Palanpur, Bharuch, Mahuva, Dahod, Dahegam, Khambhalia, Keshod, Anjar, Bhuj, Kapadvanj, Kadi, Mahesana, Rajpipla, Navsari, Patan, Porbandar, Godhra, Gondal, Himmatnagar, Bardoli, Vyara, Viramgam, Bagasara, Umreth, Borsad, Disa, Jambusar, Palitana, Kalol, Mandvi, Nadiad, Visnagar, Siddhpur, Sachin, BOpal-Ghuma, Savarkundla, Khambhat, Ankleshwar, Gandhidham, Unjha, Kadodara, Vadhwan, Dabhoi, Botad, Veraval-Patan, Morbi, Modasa, Limbdi, Padra, Una, Wankaner.

Municipal Corporations

Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara

District Panchayats

Ahmedabad, Amreli, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar, Junagadh, Kutch, Kheda, Mahesana, Panchmahal, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, Surat, Tapi, SUrendranagar, Vadodara, Valsad, Patan, Narmada, Porbandar, Anand, Dahod, Navsari, Dang, Jamngar, Botad, Gir Somnath, Mahisagar, Morbi, Arvalli, Chhotaudepur, Devbhumi Dwarka.

Taluka Panchayats

Sanand, Detroj-Rampura, Daskroi, Dhandhuka, Dholka, Viramgam, Bavla, Mandal, Dholera, Kukavav-Vadiya, Dhari, Bagasara, Khambha, Rajula, Savarkundla, Lathi, Liliya, Jafrabad, Amreli, Babra, Bharuch, Hansot, Jambusar, Ankleshwar, Vagra, Valiya, Amod, Jhagadiya, Netrang, Mahuva, Bhavnagar, Gariadhar, Palitana, Shihor, Umrala, Talaja, Valbhipur, Ghogha, Jesar, Kalol, Mansa, Dahergam, Keshod, Maliyahatina, Manavdar, Mendarda, Vanthli, Visavdar, Anjar, Gandhidham, Abdasa, Bhachau, Nakhatrana, Bhuj, Lakhpat, Mandvi, Mundra, Rapar, Matar, Mahudha, Mahemdavad, Nadiad, Kheda, Thasra, Vaso, Galteshwar, Kheralu, Mahesana, Vijapur, Visnagar, Bechraji, Vadnagar, Satlasna, Unjha, Kadi, Jotana, Godhra, Shahera, Morwa Hadaf, Ghoghamba, Jambughoda, Kalol, Halol, Paddhari, Dhoraji, Gondal, Jamkandorna, Jasdan, Jetpur, Kotdasangani, Lodhika, Vinchhiya, Upleta, Rajkot, Idar, Prantij, Talod, Vadali, Himmatnagar, Vijaynagar, Khedbrahma, Poshina, Mangrol, Umarpada, Choryasi, Bardoli, Kamrej, Mahuva, Mandvi, Olpad, Palsana, Nizar, Songadh, Valod, Vyara, Uchchal, Kukarmunda, Dolvan, Limbdi, Chuda, Chotila, Dhrangadhra, Dasada, Lakhtar, Muli, Sayla, Vadhwan, Thangadh, Padra, Dabhoi, Karjan, Savli, Shinor, Vadodara, Vaghodia, Desar, Dharampur, Kaprada, Pardi, Umargam, Valsad, Vapi, Patan, Siddhpur, Chasanma, Radhanpur, Santalpur, Harij, Sami, Shankheshwar, Saraswati, Dediyapada, Nandod, Sagbara, Tilakwada, Garudeshwar, Kutiyana, Ranavav, Porbandar, Borsad, Khambhat, Petlad, Anandi, Anklav,Tarapur, SOjitra, Umreth, Devgadhbariya, Dahod, Limkheda, Garbada, Dhanpur, Fatepura, Zalod, Sanjeli, Navsari, Jalalpor, Vansda, Chikhli, Gandevi, Khergam, Ahva, Vaghai, Subir, Jamnagar, Kalavad, Jamjodhpur, Lalpur, Jodiya, Dhrol, Botad, Gadhada, Barwala, Ranpur, Veraval, Kodinar, Sutrapada, Talala, Una, Girgadhda, Lunawada, Kadana, Khanpur, Santrampur, Balashinor, Virpur, Morbi, Maliya Miyana, Wankaner, Tankara, Halvad, Bhiloda, Modasa, Meghraj, Malpur, Dhansura, Bayad, Chhotaudepur, Jetpurpavi, Kwant, Naswadi, Sankheda, Bodeli, Khambhaliya, Dwarka, Bhanwad, Kalyanpur.

– DeshGujarat