Congress demands immediate notification for local self-government elections in Manipur

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has urged the state’s President Rule government to immediately issue an order for holding elections to local self-government bodies, including Panchayats, the Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).
 

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan, senior spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said the terms of these bodies have long expired, and the people have been waiting for elections for years. He stressed that the government should no longer delay and must take immediate steps to conduct these elections.
 

Referring to the Manipur High Court’s order on Panchayat elections issued yesterday, Bupenda said the division bench, while disposing of writ appeals (WA Nos. 9, 10, and 11 of 2024), directed the state government to conduct the long-pending Gram Panchayat elections within six months. He added that Congress leaders had previously raised the issue in the Manipur Legislative Assembly, highlighting the importance of timely elections.

“The tenure of the 5th Gram Panchayat ended in October 2022. The legal battle even reached the Supreme Court, and the High Court’s judgment has now been delivered, which everyone appreciated. The state government must comply and issue the notification for Panchayat elections immediately,” he urged.

Regarding IMC and ULB elections, Bupenda recalled that the MPCC had filed a petition in 2022 highlighting lapses in conducting these elections. The Manipur High Court had, on August 12, 2022, directed the state to hold elections by November 2022. Although the state cabinet assured elections, no formal notification has been issued, and the court subsequently closed the PIL after directing authorities to take necessary steps. “It is unfortunate that no action has been taken to date for IMC and ULB elections,” he lamented.

On ADC elections, Bupenda noted that their term ended on November 30, 2020. He urged the government to conduct these elections without waiting for court intervention, emphasizing it is the administration’s duty to hold timely elections.

He also alleged that delays in local self-government elections have hindered development in the state and stressed that the President Rule administration, under direct central supervision, should prioritise conducting these elections without further delay.