Mayors to be directly elected, EVMs to be used for first time in Odisha urban polls

Provisions will be made for directly electing mayors of municipal corporations and chairpersons of municipalities and Notified Area Councils (NACs) in the Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in Odisha on March 24, an SEC notification said.

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used for the first time in the ULB polls, and NOTA (None of the above) option will be available. In the midst of the ongoing counting of votes polled in the Odisha panchayat elections, the State Election Commission on Monday issued a notification for holding polls to 106 ULBs and three municipal corporations on March 24. The counting of votes will take place on March 26.

The notification said that the elections to the posts of mayor in municipal corporations and chairpersons of municipalities and NACs will be held directly for the first time after an amendment of the provision under the law.

Similarly, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used in the ULB polls. There will be two EVMs in each booth — one to elect the mayor/chairperson and another for corporator/councillor.

While candidates can file nominations from March 2 to March 7, the scrutiny of papers will take place on March 9. Nominations can be withdrawn till March 14.