Maharashtra Civic Elections By End of Year

Elections to Maharashtra’s civic bodies had been delayed by as much as five years, largely because of a Supreme Court ruling that said reservations to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) didn’t meet the criteria it had spelt out. The state government had to come out with a policy in agreement with it but attempts to do it had been unsuccessful or tangled in legal challenges.

On May 6, the Supreme Court ordered that the polls couldn’t be delayed any longer and had to be notified within four weeks. The State Election Commission is now in the process of ward formation which it expects to be over in a little over two months. Then there would be two more months needed for incorporating reservations and updating of electoral rolls. All in all, it expects to be able to conduct the elections by the end of the year.

It will be a massive exercise, with 29 municipalities and 32 Zilla Parishads electing representatives. There are also hundreds of Nagar Parishads and Panchayats in the fray. For the two main political alliances in the state, it will once again be a test of popularity. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led Maha Yuti will need to show that the astounding performance in the Assembly elections wasn’t a one-off and they still control the hearts and minds of voters. On May 20, Chhagan Bhujbal, a prominent OBC leader belonging to the Nationalist Congress Party, was inducted into the ministry.

For the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, the civic polls will be an opportunity to come back from their diminishing relevance. Especially for the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray, retaining control of Mumbai’s municipality is crucial for future survival.

About The Author

Open