Chandigarh: Elections to 126 urban local bodies in Punjab is likely to be held in the second week of October, officials said on Saturday.

A decision in this regard was taken at a Cabinet sub-committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here. The final decision in this regard would be subject to the Covid-19 situation, a government statement said.

Though as per the provisions of the Punjab Municipal Act, the elections are due in September, it was felt at the virtual meeting of the ministers that a final decision in the matter should be taken only after seeing the Covid developments over the next few weeks, it said.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the pandemic was projected to peak in Punjab in September, and hence it would be better to take all developments on that front into account before finalising the recommendation to be made to the Election Commission on the conduct of the elections to the corporations and municipalities.
The meeting ruled out the possibility of conducting the polls next month, given the increasing number of Covid cases in Punjab, said the statement.

It also took note of the fact that the procurement and festival season would start around mid-October, and it would not, therefore, be feasible to hold the elections during that period.

All the ministers, however, agreed that the urban local bodies elections should be held at the, taking all these factors into account.

Local Government Minister Brahm Mohindra informed the meeting that his department would complete all the work related to delimitation of wards by the end of the month.

The polls would have 50 per cent reservation for women, in line with the state government’s policy, said Mohindra, adding that his department would be fully ready well in time for the polls.