Reservation of Seats

(1) Seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in every Municipality and the number of seats so reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in that Municipality as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the Municipal area or of the Scheduled Tribes in the Municipal area bears to the total population of that area and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in the Municipality having Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes population. (2) Not less than one-third of the total number of seats reserved under clause (1) shall be reserved for women for belonging to the Scheduled Castes or as the case may be, the Scheduled Tribes. (3) Not less than one-third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled up by direct election in every municipality shall be reserved for women and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a municipality. (4) Seats shall be reserved in the office of the Chairpersons of the Municipalities for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and number of offices so reserved in the Municipalities shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of such offices as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the Municipalities or of the Scheduled Tribes in the Municipalities bears to the total population of the Municipalities. Provided that in the event of non-availability of any elected member belonging to Scheduled Caste or as the case may be, Scheduled Tribe, the reservation rotation for the office of the Chairperson shall skip to next rotation. (5) Not less than one-third of the total number of offices of Chairperson of Municipality, including the number of seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, shall be reserved for women in such manner as may be prescribed. (6) The number of offices reserved under sub-section (4) and (5) may be allotted, as far as may be possible, by rotation to different municipalities in such manner as may be prescribed. (7) The reservation of seats under clauses (1) and (2) the reservation of offices of Chairperson (other than the reservation for women) under clause (4) shall cease to have effect on the expiration of the period specified in Article 334.