According to the latest reports, the Maharashtra government has issued a notification to restart the delimitation of wards which makes the activity conducted by the State Election Commission (SEC), void. With this, speculations are being made that local body polls such as the BMC elections could get delayed by six months.
This development comes in the aftermath of the passing of two bills in the legislature which enabled the MVA government to take over the SEC’s power of forming the electoral wards. It is now believed that by recommencing the process, the state is looking to buy time to compile empirical data needed for the OBC reservation in the local body polls.
Based on accounts, polls to 15 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Nagpur, amongst others are due because their five-year term has come to an end. The SEC had nearly completed the exercise; however, the state government has decided to commence it afresh.
For those unversed, delimitation is the redrawing of the boundaries of electoral wards. This is done on the basis of alterations in the population and the creation of new electoral wards if required. Earlier on March 3, the Supreme Court had rejected the interim data submitted by the Maharashtra government seeking restoration of the OBC quota.
Also Read: BMC’s Standing Committee Hurriedly Clears Proposals Worth INR 2,500 Cr, A Day Before Term Ends
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