2017 civic polls: Government decides for 4-ward panel

The state government has come up with an ordinance amending the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act so that a four-ward electoral panel would be planned for 2017 civic polls.

Putting an end to speculation over the number of electoral wards being merged in a panel for the 2017 civic elections, the BJP-led state government has decided to have a four-ward panel for polls of civic bodies, including the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The move is expected to help the BJP in the elections after its good performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

The state government has come up with an ordinance amending the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act so that a four-ward electoral panel would be planned for 2017 civic polls.

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In its ordinance, the state government has mentioned that four members to the civic body should be elected from a panel. If four cannot be managed then there should be at least three and maximum five members to be elected from the panel. The voters will have the right to vote for the same number of members to be elected as in the panel.

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As per the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations (BPMC) Act, there would be 144 electoral wards for population up to 24 lakh and thereafter, another ward would be added for every one lakh increase in population. Thus, the PMC population is 31.34 lakh as per the 2011 census which means it will have 152 seats in 2017 elections.

The PMC will have 38 electoral panels for 2017 civic elections with four members to be elected from each panel. The election commission would start the process of delimitation of electoral panel. The existing five-year term of the PMC will be completed in February next year.

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