Election aspirants in Gujarat must have toilet facility at home: CM

Gives impetus to 'toilet for each household' drive in the state and to spread awareness about the issue

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandi Patel today proposed that having a toilet facility at home should be made a prerequisite for aspirants who want to contest any election in the state in future.

Patel's suggestion comes as a bid to give an impetus to the 'toilet for each household' drive in the state and to spread awareness about the issue.

"Right from a candidate of Village Panchayat to even Member of Parliament (MP), all must first prove that they are having toilet facility in their house. If you want to contest any form of election in Gujarat, you must have toilet facility, otherwise, they should not be allowed to contest," Patel said here.

She was addressing a gathering of more than 5000 women from different villages at the 'Water Committee Empowerment Conclave', where the state government awarded a grant of Rs 27.5 crore to 2762 water committees run by women, to encourage them.

Patel further said that the Election Commission needs to make rules accordingly in this regard. "It (the rule of having a toilet facility) should apply to everyone who wants to contest election as municipal councillor, MLA, taluka panchayat member, district panchayat member, sarpanch or even as MP. Now, the Election Commission needs to make rules as per this decision," she said.