AMC waits for Supreme Court verdict on elections;

\SLokmat News Network

Aurangabad, Oct 19:

The matter relating to the municipal corporation elections is sub judice in the Supreme Court. The final verdict is yet to come. However, the political parties have started conducting meetings considering the possibility of civic elections in December. Meanwhile, the experts underline that the elections may be held in April 2021. However, the civic officers pleaded innocence in this regard.

The state election commission (SEC) picked the lots to declare social reservations in February 2020. Hundreds of citizens registered their objections upon it. The SEC conducted hearings, but no change was made in it. Hence the SEC''s decision was challenged in the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court, but the court justified the decision of SEC. Later on, former corporators of different political parties approached the Supreme Court, which granted a stay order after hearing.

Meanwhile, the SEC and the state government will be submitting their say in the Apex Court, tomorrow (on Oct 20). Earlier, the elections were to be held in April 2020, but due to Covid-19, the election got postponed. Presently, the civic administration is looked after by the AMC administrator A K Pandey.

Meanwhile, it is impossible to predict when the final hearing upon social reservation of wards will be completed and when the court would declare the results. However, the political parties geared up and started meetings considering that the SEC would hold elections in December.

According to experts, it would take another 4-5 months to get free from the Coronavirus Disease. In between, if the Apex Court gave a green signal for the election, then also the elections could not be held due to Covid-19. Hence there is a possibility of elections in April 2021 only.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner Sumant More said, " The AMC does not know when the AMC elections will be held."