After three years of delay, Jharkhand gears up for civic elections

After nearly three years of delay, the Jharkhand government is preparing to hold the long-pending Urban Local Body (ULB) elections. The move follows the Jharkhand High Court’s firm stance on the prolonged absence of elected civic representatives across the state.

Officials indicated that the government may grant Cabinet approval for the polls before the next hearing on November 10, clearing the way for the State Election Commission to issue a formal notification. District-level committees are finalising ward-wise reservation lists, which will be sent to the Commission once approved.

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Jharkhand has 48 urban local body areas, including nine municipal corporations, 19 municipal councils and 20 nagar panchayats. This will be the first civic election since the implementation of the OBC “triple test” formula, which enables reservation for BC-1 and BC-2 categories. Based on the recommendations of the State Backward Class Commission, total reservation in urban bodies will not exceed 50 per cent, distributed among Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBC groups. The reservation of posts such as mayor and ward councillors will follow a rotational pattern.

For the past three years, these urban bodies have functioned without elected representatives, with administrative control resting solely with officials. The absence of local representatives has slowed urban governance, affecting essential services such as waste management, street lighting and water supply.

Political parties, sensing the approaching polls, have begun mobilising their cadres. The BJP has accused the government of “sleeping over” the issue until pulled up by the court. “The government ignored urban voters for years. Basic civic services have collapsed under bureaucratic control,” said BJP leader Deendayal Barnwal.

The ruling Congress, however, maintains that the delay was due to legal and procedural formalities. Party general secretary Rakesh Sinha said the government had shown “a positive approach” once the OBC triple test report and the appointment of the State Election Commissioner were finalised.

Meanwhile, the Congress has begun its own review exercise. State party president Keshav Mahato Kamlesh has convened meetings on October 30 and 31 at the party headquarters to assess preparations across all ULBs. “Even if the polls are not held on a party basis, our committed workers will contest and represent the Congress’s values at the local level,” Kamlesh said.

Officials admit that the delay in elections has also affected the state’s access to central development funds tied to elected civic bodies. With the court’s next hearing approaching and public pressure mounting, the Urban Development Department has begun clearing administrative bottlenecks to ensure the polls are conducted without further delay.

If approved by the Cabinet in the coming week, Jharkhand could see its first civic elections since 2020 before the end of this year, restoring elected urban governance and setting the stage for a political contest that will test the strength of both ruling and opposition parties at the grassroots level.