Lucknow: The political stage is set for another grassroots election with the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) announcing the schedule for block pramukh (chairperson of the kshetra panchayats) polls.
The election will be held for 825 of the 826 blocks, the only exception being Mujhena block in Gonda where the term of block pramukh will conclude in 2022.
More than 75,500 ward members will choose block chairman during the electoral process.
As per the timeline issued by State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar, nominations will be filed on July 8, and scrutiny of applications will take place on the same day. Candidates can withdraw their applications by 3 PM on July 9.
Polling and counting of votes will take place on July 10.
The ruling BJP already has an edge over the main opponents - Samajwadi Party, BSP and Congress - by winning 66 of the 75 seats, while its allies bagged another one, in the recent zila panchayat chairman polls.
The saffron party candidates won unopposed on 21 seats. Samajwadi Party-backed candidates won five seats while three seats went to RLD, Jansatta Dal and an independent candidate.
The election assumes importance as the ruling BJP is eyeing maximum gains to strengthen their position ahead of the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections. Though it is an indirect election the results would give a psychological boost to the winning party.
Meanwhile, the state government has cancelled leaves of all government employees from 08 July to 12 July in view of UP block pramukh elections.
State's Chief Secretary has issued instructions to all government departments directing them to cancel all leaves for the said date.
