ULB Polls / Political Debate Heats Up As Odisha Govt Weighs Indirect System for Mayor Elections

Bhubaneswar, Sep 12: The possibility of reverting to an indirect system for electing mayors and municipal chairpersons has triggered a political debate in Odisha, with the state government preparing for the next round of urban local body elections.

The discussion gained momentum after Housing & Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said the government was preparing for the elections, but the decision on whether mayors and chairpersons would be elected directly by voters or indirectly would be taken by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

Under the proposed indirect system, mayors in municipal corporations would be elected by corporators, while chairpersons of municipalities and NACs would be elected by councillors.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress have criticised the possibility, alleging that the government is considering a change out of fear of losing the municipal elections.

Direct Elections Introduced In 2022
Mayors and NAC chairpersons were elected indirectly through corporators and councillors before the 2022 urban local body elections. The direct election system was introduced for the first time in 2022 after amendments to the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act and related provisions were passed by the Assembly.

Under the direct system, voters directly elected mayors and NAC chairpersons.

If the government decides to restore the earlier system, legislative changes would be required, with experts suggesting that a Bill would have to be introduced and passed in the Assembly.

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Poll Preparations Already Underway
Meanwhile, preparations for the upcoming local body elections have gathered pace at the administrative level.

The State Election Commission has planned a door-to-door survey for preparation and finalisation of electoral rolls. A state-level training programme for master trainers is scheduled for September 23.

The master trainers would subsequently train personnel at the district and block levels. Survey teams are scheduled to conduct door-to-door verification from October 26 to November 7, 2026.

The panchayat elections are expected to be held in March or April next year, followed by the municipal elections, according to the schedule being discussed.

The possible change in the mayoral election system, however, has emerged as one of the key talking points ahead of the urban polls.