After reaping huge political benefit of its decision to allow election of municipal council chiefs direcly from amongst the electorate, the Maharashtra government today decided to elect sarpanchs in a similar way.
The BJP, which only had a handful of municipal council chiefs of its own, could take the number to a whopping 56 in the municipal council elections last year due to the decision of allowing direct election of council chiefs from people of the town.
The state is heading for election of 8,000 Gram Panchayats in the near future and the BJP expects to repeat its performance of the municipal council polls.
The state cabinet, that met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today, decided to amend the respective clauses of Maharashtra Gram Panchayat Act of 1958 to facilitate election of Sarpanch (Grampanchayat head) directly from amongst the people of the village.
An ordinance is expected to roll out soon and the government is likely to bring an amendment bill in the monsoon session of the state legislature that is scheduled to begin on July 25, an official from the Chief Minister's Office said.
The decision is expected to impact the elections of around 8000 Gram Panchayats scheduled in the September and October later this year.
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