With elections to the Municipal/Town councils scheduled to be held after nearly two decades on May 16,2023 with 33% women reservation; another challenge for NDPP-BJP alliance government is on whether both the parties should go to the ULB polls under a seat-sharing agreement as in the recent assembly election.
If both eventually decide in favour of such an arrangement, the question will be on what proportion; whether in the percentage of 50(NDPP):50(BJP) or 55(NDPP):45(BJP) etc?
Sources said that both the parties were yet to sit and discuss about the elections to 39 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). When contacted, BJP party sources said that both alliance partners cannot afford to fight each other in the ULB elections since it could result in open rivalry, especially with the crucial Lok Sabha elections scheduled by May 2024.
Expressing similar concern, NDPP party sources also said that both BJP and NDPP will have to discuss the matter and work out an acceptable formula to jointly fight the polls.
Sources said NDPP and BJP will be holding joint a meeting soon to take a final call on the issue.
Even as the focus is on ULB polls, the state government has been put in a tight corner by three urban local bodies– Association of Kohima Municipal Ward Panchayat (AKMWP), All Ward Union Mokokchung Town (AWUMT) and the Dimapur Urban Council Chairman Federation (DUCCF), regarding review of the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 with a precondition that the act needs to be reviewed/amended before holding elections.
The three associations affirmed that they will not compromise on their stand and will oppose/not participate in the election to the urban local bodies (ULBs) until their demands were met. The three organizations sought specific directive for amendment/review of the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001 by deleting Section 120 (1) (a) of the said Act referring to “A tax on land and building” and those provisions relating to ownership of land and building.
While considering the gender equality vis-à-viscustomary laws, they also said that the Naga customary law does not allow women to equally participate in the political and socio-economic decision making.
“…Regarding reservation of seats for women in the Municipality, the State government may formulate a policy for women nominee(s) with voting right in as much as deletion of the provisions provided in the said Act on the Tax on land & buildings and nomination of women in the Municipality is the aspiration and demands of the Nagas,” the associations stated.
They also reminded that the issue was vigorously protested by various tribal bodies and organizations spearheaded by Joint Co-ordination Committee (JCC) leading to burning of government buildings and properties which also led to the death of two persons and leaving many injured, forcing the State to withhold the Municipal election by a cabinet notification.
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