Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The mayors in Madhya Pradesh will be elected by corporators and not directly by the public, news agency PTI quoting urban administration and development minister Bhupendra Singh reported on Sunday.
"Now, the mayor will be selected by corporators and not directly by the public," the minister told the news agency.
While mayors were being elected directly for the past two decades, the system was changed by the previous Congress government under Kamal Nath and the BJP intends to continue with it.
Singh told the PTI that a bill was prepared for election of mayors directly by the public but it was withdrawn.
The state urban development minister also said the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government had decided that the mayor would be selected by corporators and not elected directly by the public.
He further added The Madhya Pradesh government will take a decision on polls to urban bodies keeping in mind a possible third wave of COVID-19.
"The state government's priority is to tackle a possible third wave of coronavirus. After this, a decision will be taken on holding urban bodies' polls," as Singh told the PTI.
Queried on the High Court's directive on reservation by rotation in connection with civic polls, Singh told the news agency that the state government had not decided whether to accept it or go in appeal.
However, office of the minister issued a clarification saying that the government's top priority is to deal with corona. "No deliberations are being held for urban body elections," the statement said.
