Faisal Fareed
Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Dec 13: The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government heaved a sigh of relief after Supreme Court (SC) stayed the order of Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court which had directed the state government to issue notification for urban local bodies polls by December 19.

The apex court passed the stay order while allowing the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the state government.

Regarding the urban local body polls, their tenure expired on November 30. State government tried to postpone them on grounds that census figures for 2011 were not available. However, HC intervened and directed the state government to conduct the elections on 2001 census and also to issue notification by December 19.

The BSP government had approached the SC against this order.

The BSP government is avoiding the urban local bodies poll as it is apprehensive that it may lose the elections. The blue brigade does not have base among the urban areas. The party did not contest the 2006 elections but gave tickets in 2006 urban local body polls.

There are 13 Mayors, 423 Town Areas and 194 Municipal Boards in urban local bodies. In the mayoral position, BJP has eight, Congress three and SP has one mayor. Therefore the BSP government wants to avoid these elections as any adverse results may dampen its chances in the coming assembly elections.