Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission
The State Election Commission Uttar Pradesh, commonly known as the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission, is an independent constitutional body responsible for conducting elections for urban and rural local bodies—the constitutionally mandated third-tier of government in India—in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The commission is headed by the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commissioner, at present, Manoj Kumar.
Origins
The commission was constituted by the Government of Uttar Pradesh in April 1994, after the passing of 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution of India, which mandated for a permanent indissoluble local bodies in rural and urban areas with a maximum term of five years, and allowed for the creation of state election commissions in all states to conduct elections to local-self government bodies under the newly-inducted article 243K.Functions
The commission is responsible for conducting elections to gram panchayats, kshetra panchayats, and zila panchayats under the U. P. Panchayati Raj Act, 1947 and U. P. Adhiniyam, 1961 and nagar palika parishads, nagar panchayats, and municipal corporations under the U. P. Municipalities Act, 1916 in the state of Uttar Pradesh.District magistrates—under the general superintendence of the state election commission—are responsible for the conduct of local body elections in their respective districts.
The commission is also vested with the power of general supervision of preparation of electoral rolls for local body election in Uttar Pradesh. The Election Commission of India—the constitutional body responsible for conducting presidential, vice-presidential, parliamentary and state legislative elections in India—can share its electoral rolls with the state election commission, but the latter is otherwise independent from it, whilst being vested with the same powers as the former for local body elections.