The Crisis of Delayed Local Body Elections in Maharashtra
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (73rd & 74th Constitutional Amendments, State Election Commission, Reservation in local bodies, Fundamental principles of democracy).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (Polity & Governance): Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein; Separation of powers between executive and judiciary; Important aspects of governance. This is a quintessential GS2 topic.
Key Highlights from the News
Delay in local body elections for years in thousands of local bodies, including 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, weakens grassroots democracy.
These institutions are now governed by government-appointed administrators/bureaucrats, not elected representatives.
A major reason for the delay in elections is legal disputes concerning OBC reservation in local bodies.
The delay in implementing the "three-fold test" (त्रिതല പരിശോധന) prescribed by the Supreme Court for OBC reservation initiated the problems.
Consequences of the absence of elected representatives:
People lose a political platform to raise their issues.
Development activities slow down.
Political accountability of officials is eliminated.
This situation defeats the fundamental objectives of the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments.
The Supreme Court intervened in the matter and directed the Maharashtra State Election Commission to conduct elections by January 31, 2026.
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