Arunachal to hold panchayat, municipal elections in December

Guwahati: The Arunachal Pradesh State Election Commission (APSEC) has announced that elections for panchayati raj institutions and municipal bodies in Itanagar and Pasighat are scheduled for December.

According to a recent notification, officials have been instructed to start preparations for the elections and to ensure that seats reserved for women in zilla parishads, gram panchayats, and municipal bodies are properly allocated.

The commission has directed that official election notifications be issued by October 30.

As part of the process, draws of lots will be conducted to determine which seats are reserved for women in the upcoming panchayat elections.

These draws will take place in Arunachal's Changlang, Itanagar, Keyi Panyor, and Kurung Kumey districts.

The draws in Changlang, Itanagar, and Kurung Kumey are set for October 28, while Keyi Panyor’s draw will be held on October 29.

In Itanagar, the draw for reserving seats in the civic body will be conducted at the DK State Convention Centre at 11 am on October 28.

This will be carried out under Section 15(2) of the Arunachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 2019, which mandates that one-third of seats be reserved for women from the Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe.

The event will be attended by MLAs from Itanagar and Doimukh constituencies, the mayor and deputy mayor, corporators from all 20 wards, and representatives of major political parties.

In Keyi Panyor, the draw will take place on October 29 at the deputy commissioner’s conference hall in Yachuli.

In Kurung Kumey, the draw covering the Lower and Upper Koloriang Zilla Parishad constituencies will be held at the DC’s conference hall in Koloriang.

District Election Officers, including Shweta Nagarkoti Mehta, confirmed that public representatives, officials, political party members, women’s organisations, and accredited media personnel have been invited to witness the process.

All Block Development Officers (BDOs) have been instructed to widely circulate information and ensure the participation of panchayat representatives.

The APSEC stressed that the exercise is time-sensitive, with reports required on the same day to facilitate the issuance of official notifications by October 30.

Security personnel will be deployed at all venues, and political parties, Zilla Parishad members, Gram Panchayat members, and Gram Panchayat Chairpersons have been urged to actively participate in the process.