Amidst the rise in COVID-19 cases, the Maharashtra government, on Tuesday, has postponed elections to the cooperative bodies, including housing societies till August 31, 2021. Earlier, these polls were postponed since last March, 2020, citing the pandemic.
As per the last order issued on February 24, 2021, these elections were postponed till March 31, 2021. However, now, they are further deferred till August 31, 2021. The government, on March 18, June 17 and September 28, 2020, had issued notifications postponing these elections till December 31 last year citing the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, the government issued fresh notifications on January 16 and February 24, 2021, postponing these polls up to March 31, 2021.
The cooperation department desk officer Anil Chaudhari, on Tuesday, issued a notification on the postponement of elections of the cooperative bodies till August 31, 2021, except those bodies in which the elections are allowed by the Supreme Court. The postponement was necessitated as the state government on Sunday has announced a mini lockdown in the state and it would not be proper to conduct elections under such circumstances, said Chaudhari.
The government had postponed these polls by exercising powers to defer elections for one year during natural calamities in larger public interest under Section 73 CC of the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960.