BJP demands local body polls

‘Territorial administration lost chance to utilise funds’

Poll bugle: BJP says holding civic elections is essential to providing effective services to citizens.

The executive committee meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday urged the government to hold local body elections at the earliest.

The meeting passed a resolution urging the Congress to conduct civic body elections to provide effective service to the public, especially in rural areas.

The resolution said the territorial administration had lost an opportunity to get central allocation of ₹400 crore in the absence of elected local bodies.

The party criticised the Congress for its inept handling of admission to medical colleges.

The resolution urged the government to convene a special session of the Legislative Assembly to pass a legislation to scrap the no-objection certificate issued to the deemed universities.

The territorial administration would be able to generate ₹800 crore more following implementation of the Goods and Services Tax.

The Chief Minister had been compelled to retract his statement urging legislators to block the entry of Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi in their constituency after sensing the popularity of Ms. Bedi. The meeting, held under the leadership of BJP Puducherry unit president V. Saminathan, was attended by party national joint organising general secretary B.L. Santhosh.