The commissioner said that a decision on usage of EVMs in the polls would be taken in consultation with the government.
Vijayawada:State election commissioner Nilam Sawhney has announced here on Tuesday that local body polls would be held in four phases in January --three months earlier than the expected time.
The commissioner said that a decision on usage of EVMs in the polls would be taken in consultation with the government. He recalled their usage by Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar in the recent local body polls there.
The election commission seems to be getting ready to conduct the polls three months in advance and is learnt to have written letters to the commissioners of panchayat raj and municipal administration to make suitable arrangements after ascertaining the rules and relaxation to conduct polls three months before completion of the civic bodies’ five-year term.
The tenure of corporators and councillors of municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats are to be over by March, and the tenure of sarpanches are also to be over by April.
As per schedule, revision of wards and reservations are to be completed by Oct 15, the preparation and publishing of ward-wise electoral rolls would be from Oct 16 to Nov 15, appointment of election officers from Nov 1 to 15, setting up polling centres and arranging EVMs from Nov 16 to 30, finalisation of reservations by Dec 15 and conduct of meetings with political parties in the last week of December.
