Guwahati, June 12 (IANS) The Assam State Election Commission (SEC) on Friday formally set in motion the electoral process for the maiden elections to the newly constituted Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC), nearly two years after the historic upgradation of the 142-year-old Silchar Municipal Board into a Municipal Corporation.

In a notification issued by State Election Commissioner Ranjan Sharma, the SEC announced the schedule for the ward-wise preparation, updating and publication of electoral rolls for the forthcoming civic polls in the Corporation’s 42 wards. The exercise will be based on the Assembly electoral rolls with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date.

According to the notification, preliminary work for the preparation of the electoral rolls will be carried out between June 12 and June 18, while the rolls will be updated from June 19 to June 28. Draft electoral rolls will be published on June 29, followed by a period for filing claims and objections until July 6. The disposal of claims and objections has been scheduled for July 13, and the final electoral rolls will be published on July 15.

The notification follows the state government’s decision to constitute the Silchar Municipal Corporation under the Assam Municipal Corporation Act, 2022, with 42 wards. The development marks another significant step in Silchar’s civic transformation.

In June 2024, the city officially transitioned from a Municipal Board to a Municipal Corporation, ending a 142-year-old administrative structure that had governed the Barak Valley’s largest urban centre since 1882. The inauguration of the Corporation had been hailed as a milestone for Assam’s second-largest city, with political leaders across party lines expressing hope that the upgraded civic body would attract greater financial resources and accelerate infrastructure development.

However, public expectations remain focused on basic urban services, including safe drinking water, efficient drainage networks and improved solid waste management. Civic leaders and residents alike have repeatedly stressed that the Corporation’s success would ultimately be measured by improvements in these core services, rather than by administrative restructuring alone.

With the electoral roll process now underway, attention is expected to shift towards the announcement of election dates for the first-ever Silchar Municipal Corporation polls.

–IANS

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