Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the crucial election for the post of Deputy Mayor in three Municipal Corporations, the State Government has implemented new Rule for the poll.
The Housing & Urban Development Department has issued two separate notifications on Monday to implement the new Rule for the post of Deputy Mayor and Vice-Chairperson.
The Rule allowed for appointment of agents by every party and the election officer will allow the authorised agents to verify the votes cast by the elected members of their respective parties as is being done during the RajyaSabha elections.
In furtherance of the provisions of the Odisha Municipal Corporation (Division of City into Wards, Reservation of Seats and Conduct of Election) Rules, 2003, the Government have been pleased to decide that every political party, whose member as an elector casts a vote for the purpose of election to the office of the Deputy Mayor of a Municipal Corporation, may appoint one authorised agent and the president or the general secretary of the State level political party or State unit of the national political party, as per the notification.
The political parties will have to submit the same in writing to the Election Officer, duly appointed by the State Election Commission, with full details of the authorised agent proposed to be so engaged for the said election prior to the scheduled date of election.
“When an elector being a member of a political party, records his vote on a ballot paper and before such elector inserts that ballot paper into the ballot box, allow the authorised agent of that political party to verify as to whom such elector has cast his vote,” it said.
Similar provision has been added under the Odisha Municipal (Delimitation Wards, Reservation of Seats and Conduct of Election) Rules, 1994, for the purpose of election to the office of the Vice-Chairperson of a Municipality or NAC.
The indirect election for the post of Vice-Chairperson will be conducted on 7 April and Deputy Mayor on 8 April, respectively. Earlier, the State Government had implemented similar Rules for the election to the post of ZillaParishad President and Vice President.