Municipal elections could not be held even after four years of Sambalpur metropolitan declaration

Sambalpur: Six years after the Sambalpur metropolitan declaration, the metropolitan elections did not take place. Opposition parties have stated they will not run in the by-elections. Sambalpur is the soul center of western Odisha. In November 2013, Sambalpur was recognized as a metropolitan corporation. To date, the Sambalpur Metropolitan Corporation has not held a municipal election. Now, after the panchayat elections, the state government has taken steps to hold municipal elections.

However, with the case pending in the High Court, the Sambalpur Metropolitan Corporation’s election is unlikely to take place. On November 15, 2013, Sambalpur was declared a metropolitan corporation by the state government. The state government issued a gazette notification on January 15, 2015 to rebuild and preserve the ward. On February 13, 2015, the list of ward reorganizations and protections was released. However, in Sambalpur Municipal Council, Burla NAC and Hirakud NAC, along with 56 villages in 12 panchayats of Dhankuda and Maneshwar, formed 61 wards of Maha Nagar.
Ajay Mohanty, a retired employee of Burla, has filed a public interest litigation in the High Court over the metropolitan corporation’s reservation system. Since then, municipal elections have not been held in the Sambalpur Metropolitan Corporation. Opposition leaders have stated they will not run in the by-elections. Opposition groups called for a boycott of the assembly in Sambalpur.

Given the current situation, there will be no elections in the near future. Had the election been held on time, a five-year term would now have expired. In addition, development work has been halted in 58 villages in 12 panchayats under the metropolitan area. In that case, the metropolitan corporation is waiting for the election.