BHOPAL: According to a senior official, Governor of Madhya Pradesh Mangu Bhai Patel gave his approval, on Thursday, to an ordinance sent by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, proposing direct election of mayors in municipal corporations. Indirect election of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of municipal councils and nagar panchayats is also provided for in the ordinance.
Bhupendra Singh, Urban Administration and Development Minister, Government of Madhya Pradesh has said that, from now on, mayors of municipal corporations (big cities) will be directly elected by the people, while chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of municipal councils and nagar panchayats (small towns) will be elected by corporators chosen by voters.
The state has 413 urban local bodies, including 16 municipal corporations, 99 municipal councils, and 298 nagar panchayats. The Supreme Court has approved reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Madhya Pradesh local body elections, allowing for polls to more than 23,000 such bodies that have been operating without elected representatives for more than two years.