Use of right to recall in civic bodies

Raipur, May 18 (UNI) Exercising the right to recall the elected representative in the civic bodies in Chhattisgarh, voters of Mahasamund town will exercise their franchise on June 17 to vote out municipal committee president Dr Vimal Chopda.

State Election Commission has declared the election programme on the state government's request after three-fourth councillors passed a resolution to recall Dr Chopda and the District Collector had verified the signatures of the councillors on the resolution.

This is the first such instance of the use of right to recall in Chhattisgarh which came into existence on November 1, 2000, State Election Commissioner Dr Sushil Trivedi said.

The commission also initiated a similar exercise in Gurur municipal council in Durg district after the councillors passed such a resolution against the civic body chief.

In a similar case, the High Court has stayed such poll to recall the president of Dondilohara municipal council in Durg district on the plea of the incumbent.

Dr Trivedi said in the recall voting, the post will be deemed to have fallen vacant if at least 50 per cent electorate voted to remove the president and fresh election will be held. Otherwise, the incumbent will continue to hold the post. Polling will be held on the basis of the revised electoral rolls, he added.

On the other hand, Dr Chopda demanded that the recall voting should be held on the basis of the original electoral rolls and not revised one.

Commission sources said the right to recall was exercised in the case of about 40 representatives in undivided Madhya Pradesh.

UNI