The State Election Commission (SEC) may have to order a fresh exercise of delimitation of wards, reservation of wards and updation of voters’ list in all municipal corporations and zilla parishads in the wake of today’s cabinet decision. The state cabinet has scrapped the Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s decision to increase BMC wards to 236 from 227 and approved that upcoming elections will be held as per 2017 ward structure.
Besides, the state cabinet revised the number of members in 26 municipal corporations in proportion to their population. The cabinet also approved a minimum of 50 seats and maximum of 75 seats in zilla parishads. The government proposes to amend the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, the Maharashtra Provincial Municipal Corporations Act and the Maharashtra Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti Act, 1961. The government will soon issue ordinances in this regard.
Today’s cabinet decision came after the municipal corporations and zilla parishads as per the SEC directives have completed the delimitation of wards and updation of voters list. In the wake of the recent Supreme Court order, 14 municipal corporations, 25 Zilla Parishads, 285 Panchayat Samitis, 221 Nagar Parishads and Nagar Panchayats and 9,000 plus Gram Panchayats drew lots for giving reservations to OBCs. They will release the publication of ward-wise reservation on August 5 after considering the suggestions and objections received.
Against this backdrop, if the government scraps this entire exercise, the SEC will have to start anew. The SEC will also bring these amendments to the notice of the Supreme Court. ‘’SEC will wait till the government issues ordinances to take future course of action. If the government has annulled its exercise then it will have to again order the delimitation of wars, reservation of wards and updation of voters list in the municipal corporations and zilla parishads,’’ said a senior SEC officer.
