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Civic poll campaign picks up

Special Correspondent

Pondicherry:

The Union Territory, which had touch of the French system of municipal administration now has fallen in line with the Indian pattern of civic rule. The heads of the municipalities who were called "Mayors" now wouldbe designated as chairman or chairperson.

Similarly, "membre" has been replaced by "councillor." The tenure of municipality or commune panchayat is five years in the present system of legislation, while it was six years earlier. The polls to the local bodies are being held after a gap of 38 years.

There were only commune panchayat and no village panchayat at any point of time when the French Decree of 1880 governed municipal bodies here. Now village panchayat "ward members" and "village panchayat presidents" are to be elected by voters in the commune panchayat limits.

With the picture of number of contestants and also their party affiliations becoming clear at the end of scrutiny of nominations and with the conclusion of the last date to withdraw nominations, political parties are have started wooing voters.

Vehicles sporting party flags go round with appeals to the voters. There are five municipal councils and 10 commune panchayats in the Union Territory.

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