Mumbai and Pune: Ward re-structuring put on hold, Apex court orders
Residents complain that developmental works have taken a backside amid the political crisis.
Pune
All looked set for the municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra but it was not to be. Political turmoil in state refuses to die down. Recently, the Supreme court of India had stayed the decision of the Pune and Mumbai municipal corporations to conduct elections and this has come as a severe blow to the Shinde-Fadnavis government.
The Maha Vikas Agadi government had made 236 wards for BMC. However, after the change of power, Shinde-Fadnavis duo decided to reduce this number to 227 wards. This decision was challenged by Shiv Sena and National Congress Party (NCP). In Pune, the cabinet decision means that the number of elected members in the PMC will come down from 173 to 166.
Residents complain that developmental works have taken a backside amid the political crisis.
In 2017, the then state government had made major changes in ward structure and created a three-member ward structure instead of four. After that, Eknath Shinde staged a rebellion which resulted in the collapse of the MVA government. Now BJP and Eknath Shinde group formed a government in the state. The new government took the big decision to keep the ward structure as in 2017. However, the constant change in the ward structure had created a lot of confusion, feel experts.
Shinde and Fadnavis formed a new government after ousting the previous Maha Vikas Agadi government. After the new government came into existence, they had issued an ordinance that elections should be held adhering to the structure that was in place in 2017 where 227 wards were structured. This ordinance was challenged and appealed in the Apex Court of India by the Shiv Sena for Mumbai Municipal Corporation while in Pune, NCP had moved such a petition.
Meanwhile, after the Supreme Court’s order regarding ward formation, Shiv Sena’s senior leader Subhash Desai pointed out that during the last session, there were 227 wards in Mumbai which were increased to 236, and was supported by Eknath Shinde, who was the urban development minister in the previous government. At that time, he gave the census data and said how the population has increased and therefore the number of wards should be increased to 236 instead of 227. The House then approved it. However, when Shinde became the CM the decision has been reversed.
A petition was filed in the Supreme Court by the NCP City Congress against the change in the ward structure in Pune. In Pune, the cabinet decision means that the number of elected members in the PMC will come down from 173 to 166.
The decision of the state government was to divide the ward into four instead of three which has now been stayed by the Supreme Court.
A petition was filed in the Supreme court by the NCP in the Supreme court and the decision of the state government has been stayed. Now, political experts say that there is a high possibility that the elections will be held in the state as per the 3-member ward structure.
Many people expressed their anger as the ward structure was constantly being changed in the Pune Municipal Corporation. As the wards were changing, the issue of reservation was affecting aspirant leaders.
Chaitraly Deshmukh-Tajane
