Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Panchayati Raj Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief OP Rajbhar on Thursday took a swipe at the Samajwadi Party (SP), asserting that no matter how many tricks the opposition party employs, gram pradhans will remain administrators until the next panchayat elections.
Rajbhar's Statement on Social Media
“Kitni bhi tikram laga lijiye... Pradhanji hi pradhan (administrator) rahenge,” Rajbhar posted on X. His remark came a day after the Allahabad High Court sought a report from the government-formed Backward Class Commission and directed the State Election Commission to clarify the status of the proposed election schedule.
High Court Order and Background
The High Court order was issued in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the government's decision to appoint incumbent village heads (gram pradhans) as administrators after the end of their tenure on May 26. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 10.
“Let alone the legislative assembly, you won’t even be able to win the panchayat elections anymore,” Rajbhar said, referring to the Samajwadi Party.
Government's Decision and Its Implications
On May 26, the Uttar Pradesh government issued an order appointing outgoing village pradhans as administrators of gram panchayats until new bodies are formed, or for a maximum period of six months. Under this arrangement, the pradhans are permitted to carry out only routine and day-to-day functions and are not allowed to take any policy decisions.
Sources indicated that the panchayat elections were bound to be delayed as the state government awaited the Backward Class Commission report on the reservation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state. Accordingly, steps related to voter list revision would be taken before eventually holding the gram panchayat elections.
Support from BJP
“It is the most appropriate arrangement as per the emerging situation. Gram pradhan is an elected representative of the people. There should be no problem in him/her continuing to administer the village units,” said Uttar Pradesh BJP Vice-President Vijay Bahadur Pathak.
Analysts observed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking to leverage benefits by supporting gram pradhans, irrespective of their political affiliations. Gram pradhan elections are not contested on party symbols.
Opposition from Samajwadi Party
The Samajwadi Party has called the government's decision “undemocratic.” “This has been mainly done to ward off anti-incumbency spiralling out beyond villages and impacting BJP’s poll prospects in the forthcoming assembly elections,” said SP spokesperson Abdul Hafiz Gandhi.
Observers noted that the BJP is treading cautiously, even as supporting the incumbent gram pradhans means annoying their opponents in the fiercely contested village polls.
