<span style="color: #222222;">In Sikkim, State Election Commission today announced dates for elections to seven municipalities of the state, for which the formal notification will be published on 1st of March.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Addressing a press conference in Gangtok, State Election Commissioner Nim Lhamu Ethenpa informed that polls will be held on 31st of March and votes will be counted on 3rd of April. The State Government has ed a new section 14 A in the Sikkim Municipalities Act, 2007, which does not allow any person to contest polls with the direct or indirect support of any political party.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The 8th of March will be the last date for filing nomination, nomination papers will be scrutinized on the 9th of March and the last date of withdrawing candidature will be the 11th of March. The tenure of municipal bodies in Sikkim ended on the 16th of October, 2020, but the election was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Government had appointed administrators for all urban bodies to look after day-to-day functioning during the interim period.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">A total of 51 Municipal Wards will go to polls through 90 Polling Stations with 42,341 male voters and 40,475 female voters. The number of wards in Gangtok Municipal Corporation has increased from 17 to 19 following delimitation and addition of Bhojoghari 2nd Mile and Pani House. Nayabazar-Jorethang and Gyalshing Municipal Councils have been degraded to Nagar Panchayat status with five wards each.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The final electoral roll for urban bodies is expected to be published on 26th of February.</span><br />''