All India Council of Mayors will move a resolution against the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision of conducting civil polls on non-party lines at its general body meeting in Mumbai later this week.
The 3-day meet is scheduled from June 25, council chairperson Ashutosh Varshney told the media here.
“The decision of the Mayawati government to debar political parties from civic elections is undemocratic and we will oppose it at all levels,” he said.
The council has 135 mayors, of which about 40 belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party, including 8 from Uttar Pradesh.
On June 18, the state cabinet had decided that the urban civic body elections would not be conducted on party lines. The decision would be applicable for the 2011 state local bodies’ elections.
According to the decision, party symbols would not be allotted to candidates in fray for election as mayors, chairmen, members and corporators of the municipal corporations, nagar panchayats and nagar palika parishads.
Varshney further said the council could also explore the possibility of challenging the UP government decision in the court.
Meanwhile, UP BJP mayors presented a memorandum to the Governor, requesting his intervention in the matter and demanded the civic bodies be empowered in the state.
Lucknow Mayor Dinesh Sharma alleged the state government was conspiring to render the different municipal corporations without adequate financial resources.
“There is no state in India where political outfits cannot contest the urban local bodies’ polls. We will not allow this,” he added.
