50 Per Cent Wards In Shimla Municipal Corporation Reserved For Women

As many as 17 wards of the total 34 of the Shimla Municipal Corporation have been reserved for women and only 14 wards are unreserved.Three wards each have been reserved for scheduled caste women and scheduled caste men.

The number of wards was increased from 25 to 34 after inclusion of Dhalli, Kasumpti and Totu areas in the SMC and some of the wards which were arlier reserved for women have been reserved for them again.

The SMC elections would be held next month as its term would expire on May 27. The elections to the posts of the mayor and deputy mayor, which were held by direct voting last time, would now be done indirectly and the councillors would elect the mayor and the deputy mayor.

Although, the elections are not being held on party symbols, the Congress, the BJP and the CPI(M) are fighting the polls on party lines.

Meanwhile, Returning Officer Rohan Chand Thakur said to entertain claims and objections regarding exclusion or erroneous inclusion of voters' names in electoral rolls, offices of electoral officer and state election would remain open tomorrow and on Monday and five more centres have been opened for the same.

The move came following the orders of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

The election schedule would be announced after final publication of electoral rolls on May 4 and elections are likely to be held by the third week of May.