Uttar Pradesh: Zila panchayat chief polls to be held before July 3

LUCKNOW: Political temperature in Uttar Pradesh is set to rise on Tuesday when the State Election Commission (SEC) issues the notification for the election of zila panchayat chairpersons. The election commission has informed the Panchayati Raj department that it is ready to conduct polls between June 15 and July 3.
Additional chief secretary (Panchayati Raj) Manoj Singh issued the notification to this effect on Monday on behalf of the Governor.
The notification, however, did not mention the election for 826 kshetra panchayats. Sources said the department would soon seek inputs from the panchayati raj directorate before issuing a notification.
Zila panchayat chairpersons for 75 districts will be elected by 3,050 members in various districts. Jaunpur has maximum 83 wards followed by Sitapur and Lakhimpur Kheri which have 79 and 72 wards, respectively. Gorakhpur, the home turf of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has 68 wards.
Sources in the SEC confirmed that a formal notification for zila panchayat polls would be issued on Tuesday after which observers would be appointed.
The elections for zila panchayat chairpersons has turned into a prestige issue for all political parties, especially the BJP which has decided to field its functionaries in zila panchayat wards. BJP faces a stiff challenge from the opposition, mainly the Samajwadi Party.
The election has also attained significance for the BJP as it seeks to maximise its footprint in rural parts of the state to take on regional parties, SP and BSP, ahead of the state assembly elections next year.
The issue is said to be at the core of hectic activities in the BJP camp during the recent visits by party’s national general secretary (organisation), BL Santhosh, and national vice-president, Radha Mohan Singh.
BJP sources said the party had opened back channel negotiations with independent candidates who had won a significant number of wards. Their support to candidates backed by various parties will hold significance in zila panchayat elections.