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H].E,EICTEON
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COMMISSIOI\ OF II{DIAi
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PS
Dated 30th Octobe r,201,5
To
Tlre Ser:reta ry,
St;ite Eiection Commis:;iorr of
Ail the States and Union ferritories.
Su bj
ect:
iVlaciarn
l-ocal Body Elections
/
-
Sharing of lnformation _ Regarcling.
Sir
l
constitutton
I am directed to invite your attention to the Artlcle 324 of the
of lndia whereby the Ele<.tion commission is entlusted with the
i
superintc'ndence, direction and control of the preparation of the electbral
rolls for and
conclttct of all elections to Parliament and to the legislature of
every State and of
erlections
to the offices of the President and the Vice-president. The Commission
is
;rcultly consciotl:; of the fact tlrat the State Election Commissions, in furth"runi."
of the
co(.i.llr\v":j detnocratic structure have beerr set up to ensUre
holding of periodical
election:; at the grass root level
to elect representatives on the basis of an 'impartial
oL)ir.(-[i\/c :rnd fair election process.
2.
Tlre ConstitLrtional Scheme envi_iages a healthy respect
for each other,s
ilowers and functions among all Constitutional Ar-rthorities so ihat they work in
hartnony. on its part the Commission would like to reiterate that a spirit
of mutual
cooperation and harrnony govern its dealings with the State Election Commissions,
consistent wrth its Constitutional obligations'and commitments. The Commission
solicits
full cooperation
3'
State
arnd
goodwill from the state Election comnrissions.
Having regard to the above, the services of the electoral machinery in the
/
Union Territory which functions uncler the surperintendence, direction end
control of the Election Commission of lnclia - namely, the District Election Officers,
Electoral Registration Officers, Returrning Officers and Assistant Returning Offiicers who
are appointed bv the Cornmission underr the various provisions of the Representation of
Delhr-ll000l
Act, L951, are being utilised
by the state Election commissions for the concJuct
of panchayats and Munrrcipalities
elections' This rnay give rise to a situation when
the sarne electoral machinery is
stretched to conduct sirnultaneous or consecutive elections
to Local Bodies and State
I
l,r-:gislature
/ parliament.
,
4'
To avoicl such situaiion, you are requestecl
io slrare information
about
i
tlre schedule of elections to Local Bodies in your State
/ Union Territory as soon as the
sarne is declared, to enabie the Cornmission to schedule
the programmes of General
Elections or Bye-elections to the state Legis!ative Assembly
the state
5.
/
/
Houses of parliament from
UnionrTerritory accordingly, to ensure that the schedules
ao]
please acl<nowledge receipt
of tire letter.
Yours fairhfully,
,
(Sun
it Mukherjee)
Secretary
copyio the chief Electoral officer of allthe states / Union Territories.
I