Odisha: Mayors to Be Elected by People through Direct Voting, Draft Notification Issued

Bhubaneswar: The Mayors of Municipal Corporations and Chairmen of Municipalities will be elected by the people through direct voting in Odisha.
A draft notification has been issued by the Housing & Urban Development Department to amend the Odisha Municipal Rules 1994 for election of Mayors of Municipal Corporations and Chairman of Municipalities by the people through direct voting.

The draft will be reviewed by the State Government on or after the expiry of a period of 30 days from the date of publication of this notification in the Odisha Gazette.

Any objection or suggestion in this regard can be lodged with the Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department within a month.

As per the draft, these rules may be called the Odisha Municipal (Delimitation of Wards, Reservation of Seats and Conduct of Election) Amendment Rules,2021. They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Odisha Gazette.

“In the Odisha Municipal (Delimitation of Wards, Reservation of Seats and Conduct of Election) Rules, 1994 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), in Chapter III, in the heading, for the word “Councillors”, the words “the Chairperson and Councillors” shall be substituted,” the draft notification reads.
“Every nomination paper shall be signed by two electors of the Municipality concerned in case of the office of the Chairperson and in case of office of Councillor by two electors of the ward concerned as proposer and seconder and the candidate shall sign a declaration on it expressing his willingness to stand for election for the office proposed,” it said.

Currently, Mayors and Chairmen are elected by the Corporators and councillors.