Bhubaneswar, Oct. 2: The state election commission has initiated the process for holding elections to 25 urban local bodies in nine western Odisha districts.

The polls were deferred following an agitation for a permanent Orissa High Court bench in the region.

Sources said the commission had written a letter to the chief secretary, expressing its intention to complete the civic polls to the urban local bodies by November end. “The commission wanted to know whether the dates were suitable,” said an official.

State election commissioner Ajit Tripathy said that as normality was being restored in western Odisha, the commission felt that it was now time to resume hold the elections.

Urban development minister Debi Prasad Mishra said the state government would study all aspects, including the prevailing situation and timing of the proposed election.

The state urban development department has sought status report from district collectors and superintendents of police of the nine districts.

The elections were scheduled to be held on September 19. But, the commission decided to defer it in view of disturbances regarding the bench demand.

All the political parties had boycotted the polls in the region supporting the central action committee of the All Western Odisha Bar Association, which spearheaded the agitation. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had invited the committee for a discussion on August 24, but the talks failed.

In another development, lawyers from western Odisha called off their strike yesterday. However, the committee will call a meeting of political parties and other stakeholders to decide on polls, said activist Sureswar Mishra.