Kohima, Nov 03: The Nagaland State Assembly is set to convene an emergent session on November 9 to discuss the recommendations of a select committee regarding a bill aimed at conducting municipal elections in the state. The upcoming session, initiated by Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, is a significant step toward holding urban local body (ULB) elections that have been overdue for two decades.
The last ULB elections in Nagaland were held in 2004, and since then, various factors, including unresolved Naga peace talks and opposition to 33% reservation for women by tribal bodies, have hindered the electoral process. The repealing of the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001, during the Assembly’s March session paved the way for a new law that aims to address these concerns and move forward with the elections.
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The new bill will consider the views of tribal bodies and civil societies regarding 33% women’s reservation and taxation on land and properties. Despite previous attempts by the state government to conduct ULB elections, opposition from tribal bodies and civil society organizations, often resulting in violence and disruptions, has prevented the polls from taking place.
During a consultative meeting in September, it was decided that ULB elections would include a women’s quota, and the government would present the new bill in the Assembly’s monsoon session. The bill was introduced on September 12 by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, and a seven-member Select Committee, headed by Deputy Chief Minister T R Zeliang, was established to evaluate the proposed legislation.
The emergent session on November 9 is expected to bring the Nagaland Municipal Bill, 2023, one step closer to realization and potentially pave the way for long-awaited municipal elections in the state.
