Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 21 Jun: The Congress party has raised serious objections over the two-phase conduct of the upcoming three-tier Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand which have been notified on Saturday. The party has questioned both the rationale and timing of the decision. With elections slated for 12 districts, excluding Haridwar, Congress State president Karan Mahara has accused the government of attempting to influence the outcome in favour of the ruling party.
Speaking to the media persons here on Saturday, Karan Mahara alleged that the government’s inability to conduct elections in all 12 districts in a single phase suggests administrative incompetence and a deliberate push to introduce what he termed the ‘Maharashtra model’, with the objective of manipulating electoral gains for the BJP. He claimed the two-phase election plan was designed to allow strategic intervention and adjustments, calling the situation a ‘joke’ and criticising both the Dhami-led government and the Staten Election Commission for failing to manage even this limited scope of polling.
Raising additional concerns, Mahara questioned the rationale behind holding elections based on the 2011 census, yet resetting the reservation roster to zero. Reminding about the legal frameworks that govern electoral procedures and the reservation system, the Congress leader accused the government of flouting these by applying new population data for reservation allotments. He cited anomalies in several blocks where either all seats were reserved for women or all were left unreserved, leading to concerns of bias and inconsistency.
He further alleged that the government is deliberately inviting legal challenges by provoking public resentment and encouraging objections in order to derail the elections through court proceedings. According to Mahara, this strategy appears aimed at avoiding panchayat polls altogether. He noted that the next hearing on the matter is scheduled for June 24, which the Congress is closely monitoring.
Referring to what he termed an ‘unprecedented’ move, Mahara remarked that for the first time, not just in the state but across the country, a government has appointed administrators to oversee panchayats. He added that during this interim period, many panchayats were left without administrators, block chiefs, Zila panchayat chairpersons or even Pradhans, raising questions about the government’s commitment to decentralised governance.
The Congress also indicated that it will continue to challenge the Panchayat poll process, viewing the government’s conduct as undemocratic and an affront to local self-governance.
