Demonstration held to protest delay in holding local body polls
Protesters in Puducherry demonstrated against the government for the prolonged delay in holding local body elections. The elections have been stalled for years due to legal challenges regarding OBC seat reservations.
Why it matters
The lack of local body elections undermines grassroots democracy and the decentralization of power in the Union Territory.
Representatives of several organisations on Tuesday held a demonstration in front of the Election Department office to condemn the AINRC-BJP government for the delay in holding local body elections.
The protesters raised slogans against the government and the department for not conducting the polls despite a court direction to hold the elections to municipalities and panchayats in Puducherry. Former MP and president of Puducherry Maanila Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam M. Ramadass addressed the protesters.
The Union Territory has conducted local body elections only once in the last 58 years. The last local body elections were held in 2006. When the State Election Commission was gearing up to hold local body elections in 2021, the move was stayed by the Madras High Court with a direction to the conduct the polls after reserving seats to OBCs.
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