Maharashtra govt extends assurance on BMC wards, tells Bombay High Court it won’t proceed with delimitation process

Initiated in 2021 during the MVA government’s regime, the delimitation exercise increased the number of electoral wards from 227 to 236. However, an ordinance issued by the Eknath Shinde government on August 8 reinstated these wards to 227. On September 8, the ordinance was replaced by the Act.

On November 30, the state government assured that it would proceed with the delimitation process for the BMC till the court hears a plea filed by former corporators on December 20. On Tuesday, the government told a division bench of Justice Nitin Jamdar and Gauri Godse that it was extending its assurance till January 5. Justice Jamdar said the matter will be listed for hearing before an appropriate bench on January 3.

Pednekar, the former corporator belonging to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), had approached the court after the Supreme Court granted him the liberty to withdraw his plea and move the Bombay High Court regarding the issue.

Pednekar had urged the high court to declare the government’s decision as being against the Constitution, and null and void. Pending the hearing of his plea, he also sought a stay on the decision. He also urged that the State Election Commission (SEC) conduct the BMC elections based on delimitation conducted earlier, as per the Supreme Court’s orders on May 4 and July 20.

Pednekar said even the high court in February dismissed pleas against the delimitation initiated by the MVA government considering 236 wards, after which the SEC published a final notification in the official gazette. The government told the high court that the plea has been filed with “ulterior motives”.