Ripun Bora

Guwahati, Sept. 27: With various political parties in the state gearing up for a snap general election, Dispur has expressed its inability to conduct the panchayat polls by October 31, as directed by the Gauhati High Court.

The court was informed of the government’s inability by the state election commission through an affidavit yesterday, government spokesman and minister Ripun Bora told reporters today.

Bora added that the government has sought more time to conduct the polls because the state polling and administrative machinery were still engaged in relief and rehabilitation of flood victims. Again, most of the polling booths for the panchayat elections are still submerged.

Deputy commissioners of the flood-hit districts had earlier urged the commission to put off the panchayat elections till the situation returns to normal.

Bora said it was now for the court to decide whether to extend the poll deadline. A single-member bench of the court had turned down a similar plea of the state election commission for deferring the polls last week on the ground that elections have already been delayed.

The tenure of the panchayats expired in March last year. The last panchayat elections were held in 2001 and the panchayat bodies were constituted by March that year. On May 25 this year, the high court had asked Dispur to conduct the polls by October 31.

To buttress their point, the DCs have cited the impact the floods have had on polling stations and the transport and communication system. They have also pointed out that people are still housed in relief camps and it will take some time before they resume normal activities.

In its affidavit, the commission has told the court that it would complete the election process by December, Bora said. He also hinted that the elections are likely to be held in two phases.

Setting all speculation to rest, Bora also said the Congress recently decided that it would contest the elections under the party symbol. There has been widespread speculation in state political circles that the Congress may not contest the polls under the party symbol to avoid the embarrassment of losing the panchayat elections.

He also ruled out the possibility of the Congress entering into any alliance with like-minded parties for the panchayat elections.

“We are strong enough to contest the elections on our own,” he said.

The Opposition AGP and BJP are holding secret parleys for a tie-up. The AGP has given “full freedom” to its district units to decide on such an alliance.