Shimla Zila Parishad president, vice-president election deferred

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Shimla , August 3
The election for the posts of president and vice-president of the Shimla Zila Parishad was deferred on Monday after none of the 25 elected members attended the meeting convened for the election, preventing the mandatory quorum from being met.
Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap said the meeting was called to elect the President and Vice-President of the 25-member Zila Parishad, but no elected member turned up, making it impossible to conduct the election.
“The required quorum for the first meeting is the presence of two-thirds of the elected members. As no member attended, the election could not be held,” Kashyap said.
He said the administration would ascertain the reasons behind the absence of all members and take further action in accordance with the rules.
The Deputy Commissioner said a fresh date for the meeting would be announced shortly. He added that under the rules, the second meeting requires the presence of at least 50 per cent of the members to complete the election process.
The postponement has intensified political activity in the district, where the composition of the Zila Parishad has resulted in a closely contested race for the top posts.
Of the 25 elected members, 11 are backed by the BJP, nine by the Congress and five are Independents. With 13 members required for a majority, the support of Independent members is expected to play a decisive role in the election.
Political observers believe the absence of all members reflects the ongoing efforts by both the BJP and the Congress to secure the backing of Independent members before the election. The next meeting is now expected to determine the leadership of the Shimla Zila Parishad.