The election process for urban local bodies will be completed by April 30
The Nagaland government has told the Supreme Court that the election process for urban local bodies in the state will be completed by April 30.
In November, the Nagaland Assembly passed a bill reserving 33 percent seats in urban local bodies for women.
Urban local body elections were last held in the state in 2004.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia took note of an affidavit filed by the Nagaland Chief Secretary earlier this month, which said the rules would be framed within a month – before January 8.
“An affidavit has been filed on behalf of the Chief Secretary of the State of Nagaland confirming that the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2023, was passed by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on November 9, 2023 and notified on the same day after receiving the assent I went. Of the Governor,” it noted.
“It is further stated that the rules shall be framed within one month from the date of the affidavit, i.e. on or before January 8, 2024, and the election process shall be completed by April 30, 2024,” the bench said in its order. Passed on 11 December.
It posted the matter for hearing on May 3.
The top court is hearing a petition filed by People’s Union for Civil Liberties and others seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in urban local bodies in the northeastern state.
The petitioners filed an application before the apex court against the cancellation of the elections and sought contempt action against those concerned for “disobeying” the March 14 order regarding the election process.
“The contempt notice can be dismissed on the next date as the elections will be over by that time,” the bench said in its December 11 order.
While hearing the case in July, the top court had rapped both the Center and the Nagaland government for not implementing the constitutional scheme of one-third reservation for women in urban local bodies.
The apex court had asked the Center to clarify whether the constitutional scheme of quota for women in municipal and city council elections could be violated by Nagaland, where the Assembly earlier passed a resolution to reconsider the Municipal Act And had resolved not to hold elections. Urban local bodies.
The resolution was passed by the state assembly after pressure from tribal organizations and civil society groups.
These organizations had said that Naga customary laws do not allow women to participate equally in political and socio-economic decision-making bodies.
On March 30, the State Election Commission (SEC) of Nagaland issued a notification canceling the previously notified election schedule “until further orders” in view of the revocation of the Municipal Act.
However, the top court had issued the SEC notification on April 5.
Apart from seeking quashing of the March 30 notification issued by the SEC canceling the election schedule, the application filed by the petitioners also sought quashing of the Nagaland Municipal (Repeal) Act, 2023.
Several Naga tribal bodies and civil society organizations had opposed the urban local body elections under the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001, claiming that it was a violation of the special rights of Nagaland guaranteed by Article 371-A of the Constitution.
The 2001 Act, which was later amended, made 33 percent reservation for women mandatory for conducting urban local body elections as directed by the Supreme Court.
