The Supreme Court has put on hold the Nagaland government’s decision to indefinitely cancel the election to 36 town councils and three municipal councils, which were scheduled for May 16. The court criticised the state government and the state Election Commission for violating its previous order and issued notices to both. On March 14, the court had directed that the election process be completed according to the schedule and 33% reservation for women be implemented. The election was cancelled after the state assembly passed a resolution to repeal the Municipal Act, 2001, which had made the 33% reservation of seats for women mandatory in Urban Local Bodies, as directed by the Supreme Court. Tribal groups and civil society had demanded that the election be held only after amending the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001.
The Election Commission had issued a notification for elections to three municipal councils and 36 town councils on May 16 with 33% reservation for women. However, traditional tribal bodies threatened to boycott the civic polls unless the government guaranteed that reservation of 33% seats would not violate the provisions of Article 371(A) of the Constitution, which gives special rights to Nagas on their lands and its resources, and safeguards their customs and traditions. The Nagaland government then cancelled the elections, but the Supreme Court has now put the cancellation on hold and issued notices to the state government and the state Election Commission for violating its previous order to complete the election process according to the schedule and implement 33% reservation for women.
