Cachar admin hosts all-party meet on Silchar civic polls; Oppn slams delay in draw of lots

Silchar, Dec 4: The Cachar district administration convened an all-party meeting on Wednesday to discuss key issues surrounding the upcoming elections for the Silchar Municipal Corporation, including the reservation of seats for women in the Scheduled Caste (SC) category.

Presided over by District Commissioner Mridul Yadav, the meeting covered several points outlined in the Assam Municipal Act 2022, particularly regarding the reservation of seats for SC, ST, and women in the upcoming elections.

Key provisions discussed included Sections 5(2), 5(3), and 5(4) of the Act, with a focus on determining the number of reserved seats and how the process of reserving seats for women and SC candidates would proceed.

Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty, Udharbond MLA Mihir Kanti Shome, Silchar District Congress president Abhijit Paul, former district CPM secretary Dulal Mitra, and other political party members attended the meeting.

The attendees were informed that the draw of lots, a crucial part of the seat allocation process, would take place in the coming days.

“There are 42 wards for the Silchar Municipal Corporation elections. As per the Municipal Corporation Act, 16% of the wards, or 7 wards, will be reserved for the Scheduled Caste category. Of these, three wards will be reserved for SC women, and four wards will remain open for SC candidates. The remaining procedures, including the draw of lots, will be conducted shortly. We aim to complete the election proceedings as soon as possible,” said District Commissioner Mridul Yadav.

However, the delay in conducting the draw of lots during the meeting was met with criticism from opposition parties. Congress leader Abhijit Paul and CPM leader Dulal Mitra expressed dissatisfaction, calling for the draw to be conducted immediately.

“The all-party meeting should have concluded the draw of lots for determining the reserved seats today. The elections have already been delayed by four years, and we fail to understand why the procedures are being postponed further,” said Paul.

Mitra also voiced concerns over the delay, suggesting that such actions could lead to speculation of foul play.

In contrast, Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty expressed optimism about the progress toward the Silchar Municipal Corporation elections. He highlighted that the meeting was an opportunity for political parties to be briefed on the guidelines for determining reserved seats. Chakraborty assured that another meeting would be held for the draw of lots soon.

“This is a promise made by the BJP to elevate Silchar to a Municipal Corporation, and I am pleased to see that Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma is committed to the development of Silchar,” Chakraborty said, adding that the efforts were aligned with the state’s broader goals of progress.