Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The deputy mayor in three municipal corporations, the Odisha government has amended the election rules. The housing & urban development department issued two separate notifications to implement the new rule for the election of deputy mayor and vice-chairperson in several urban local bodies (ULBs) of Odisha.
According to the reports, the new rule has allowed for the appointment of agents by political parties and the election officer will allow the authorized agents to verify the votes cast by the elected members of their respective parties as is being done during the Rajya Sabha elections.
“In furtherance of the provisions of the Odisha Municipal Corporation (division of city into wards, reservation of seats and conduct of election) Rules, 2003, the government have been pleased to decide that every political party, whose member as an elector casts a vote for the purpose of election to the office of the deputy mayor of a municipal corporation, may appoint one authorised agent. When an elector being a member of a political party, records his vote on a ballot paper and before such elector inserts that ballot paper into the ballot box, allow the authorised agent of that political party to verify as to whom such elector has cast his vote,” read one of the notifications.
The president or the general secretary of the state-level political party or state unit of the national party will have to submit the details of authorised agent in writing to the election officer prior to the scheduled date of election.
The government has enforced similar provision under the Odisha Municipal Rules, 1994, for the purpose of election to the post of the vice-chairperson in municipalities and NACs.
