After failing to get Governor Kamla’s approval to the bill that sought to make voting mandatory in local bodies election in the state, the Gujarat government on Sunday said that it would once again pass the legislation in the assembly.
“It is a privilege of the Governor to return a bill. As far as the government is concerned, we will again place the bill before the state assembly and pass it,” Government spokesperson Jaynarayan Vyas told PTI.
When asked if the government would modify the bill with regard to the objections raised by the Governor, Mr. Vyas said, “This being the matter of privilege of the Gujarat Assembly, I would not like to make any comment. To pass it (Bill) with any kind of modification or without it is the privilege of the assembly. But we will definitely go back to the assembly and try for the passage of the bill.”
Meanwhile, Minister for Urban Development Nitin Patel said, “We would stick to the present form of bill for now. We will decide what to do when the time comes.”
The Governor had returned the bill saying the legislation would violate the Constitution. The governor also objected to the clause that called for punishment for those choosing not to vote.
The Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill, making voting mandatory in local bodies elections, was passed by the Gujarat assembly in December 2009.
