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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
State Election Commissions lack power, cause delays in urban local government polls: report
Flagging delays in urban local government (ULG) elections, a report by non-profit Janaagraha has said that State Election Commissions (SECs) operate under 'institutional constraints' and that a majority lack the authority to conduct ward delimitation and reservation. The SECs are responsible for conducting elections to local governments—panchayats and municipalities. The report, released in Delhi on August 6, said that out of the 34 SECs, only eight had the power of ward delimitation and reservation of wards, while two had powers of delimitation alone. Twenty-four SECs do not have any powers over both ward delimitation and reservation, the report added. Saying that due to the absence of clear timelines for electoral processes, the state governments change the rules, reservation orders and boundaries of urban local governments, the report pointed out that 'these create electoral uncertainty in cities'. Citing Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India reports, Janaagraha said 61 per cent of the ULGs in 17 states had witnessed election delays. It said that the state governments have overriding powers, leading to cities functioning without elected councils. The report also highlighted that while the Constitution empowers the SECs to conduct local government elections, it is silent on issues of ward delimitation, reservation and timelines. 'This has led to inconsistencies across states and delays in holding elections,' it said. The report recommended constitutional amendments to define the frequency for delimitation and reservation and to empower the SECs with these powers. At the release of the report, former Assam state election commissioner Alok Kumar said, 'Cities being key drivers of economic growth, sustainable uses of resources and social justice require a governance model deeply entrenched in the Constitutional jurisdiction and division of power. This is an idea whose time has come. There is no substitute to independent, empowered and resourceful local self-government if we aspire to become a developed country by 2047.' Janaagraha CEO Srikanth Viswanathan said timely elections to ULGs must be 'non-negotiable'. 'Elections once in five years before expiry of the term of the outgoing elected body is well established for ULGs, just like in the case of Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha. The 74th Constitution Amendment Act and Supreme Court judgements are unequivocal in this. Yet state governments are delaying elections to hundreds of ULGs with impunity, with delays sometimes stretching for months and years on end. This status quo needs to stop,' he added.
Hindustan Times
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Elected govts at local body levels key to India's goal of being developed nation: Report
Lack of duly elected governments at the city or urban local body levels is an obstacle to India's ambitious goal of being a developed nation, a report released on Wednesday. The report by Bengaluru-based non-profit Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy argued that developed cities are a key to India's economic growth, and globally, there are no examples of cities being developed well without strong urban local governments. (Representative file photo) To make their case, the authors said Indian cities already contribute 60% of GDP. But, compared to the global average of 3.9% increase in per capita GDP for every 1% increase in urbanisation, India delivers only a 1.7% increase. The study noted that a 932% increase in central government budgets for the urban sector from 2009–10 to 2024–25, along with a similar rise in investments by respective state governments, has failed to deliver optimum results. '59% of urban residents face water scarcity, 80% are exposed to unhealthy air quality, 36.4 crore urban residents faced very strong heat stress, and recurring urban floods across major cities, with the 2015 Chennai floods alone costing ₹15,000 crores. This signals deeper governance issues,' the authors of the report said. Titled 'Delays in Urban Local Government Elections in India: Analysis and Reform Pathways', the report flagged an average 22-month delay in conducting municipal elections, an 11-month average delay in electing mayors and forming councils, despite the Constitutional mandate of holding elections before council term expiry or within six months after dissolution. The study also shed light on many Constitutional silences, particularly in terms of laying down defined timelines and the lack of independence of state election commissions, with only eight of the 34 SECs having powers over both ward delimitation and reservation. Also Read: A road map to mitigate Delhi's pollution crisis As remedies, the report recommended reforms at the centre, state governments, and state election commission levels. Srikanth Viswanathan, chief executive officer at Janagraha, said, 'The centre should consider stopping central sector funding to states that do not facilitate duly elected city councils altogether, as done for 15th Finance Commission grants for cities without duly elected bodies.' He also said states should be incentivised for empowering state election commissions. The study collated findings from 13 court orders of various high courts and the apex court, CAG reports, interviews with state election commissioners, municipal legislations at the state level, and a roundtable organised with MPs, mayors, and sectoral experts held earlier in July. Janaagraha said that they will share the report with the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Housing and Urban Affairs who had chaired their roundtable, state governments, the Parliamentary Accounts Committee, and state election commissions.
