Jharkhand urban bodies to go for polls on March 25

The elections of Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC), 11 Nagar Parishads and 16 Nagar Panchayats will be held on March 25 and all results will be declared on March 27.

The state governor Syed Sibtey Razi on February 11 had returned the election schedule prepared by the state Election Commission with the suggestion to first get the proposal approved by the state cabinet.

The Governor raised objection to the state government's decision to send the election module for conducting elections to urban local bodies directly to the Rajbhawan without getting it approved by the cabinet.

In response, the state cabinet held a meeting on February 12 and in accordance with the Governor's suggestion approved the revised schedule for the elections prepared by the state Election commission.

As the elections will not be held on party lines, there will not be any model code of conduct.

It may be mentioned that the Centre has withheld the funds of Jharkhand under the Jawaharal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) on the ground that the state was not holding elections at the state panchayat level.

Sources in the state government said that the problem with release of funds under JNNURM by the Centre would be resolved after the elections of the Nagar Panchayats and Nagar Parishads.