Mahe Goes 14 Years Without Local Body Elections

Mahe: In Mahe, a region of the Union Territory of Puducherry located between Kerala’s Kozhikode and Kannur districts, local body elections have not been conducted for the past 14 years. Since Mahe’s liberation from foreign administration 57 years ago, local body elections have been held only twice.

The first election took place in 1968, followed by a long 38-year gap until the next election in 2006. The second election was conducted following a petition by Mahe resident Advocate T. Ashokkumar, which led to an order from the Madras High Court directing the government to conduct local elections.

However, despite the municipal council’s term ending in 2011, the then Congress government declined to hold municipal or panchayat elections. The BJP–NR Congress government, which came to power in 2021, also failed to take steps toward conducting the polls. Even the election announced twice in 2021, following Supreme Court directions, was subsequently postponed.

The Madras High Court stayed the elections twice, citing issues related to reservation for backward communities. Justice K. K. Sasidharan was appointed to determine the reserved wards, but no report has been submitted so far.

Advocate T. Ashokkumar stated that a new petition would be filed in the Madras High Court this month, seeking directions to conduct local body elections and to appoint an election commissioner.