SP Calls on CM Fadnavis to Conduct BMC Elections Prior to March 2025
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New Delhi, Dec 30 (NationPress) Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator Rais Shaikh has formally reached out to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, requesting that the state government conduct the overdue elections for local bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), ahead of March 7, 2025.
The correspondence, which was also sent to Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde, emphasizes the significant delay in reinstating democratic governance to local bodies throughout Maharashtra.
In his letter, Shaikh highlighted that the BMC, recognized as the largest local government body in Asia, has been operating without elected officials since March 7, 2022, when its previous term came to an end. The current administrator is anticipated to complete a three-year tenure by March 7, 2025. “It is not a matter of pride for Indian democracy that the financial capital of the country has been run for so long without people's representatives,” he remarked.
Shaikh further noted that elections for 29 municipal corporations, 228 municipal councils, 29 Nagar Panchayats, 26 Zilla Parishads, and 289 Panchayat Samitis in the state are still pending. He insisted that these elections, including the BMC elections, be carried out without any more delays to uphold democratic values.
In the wake of the state Assembly elections, various political parties are gearing up for local body elections, including those pertaining to the BMC, the wealthiest civic body in the nation. On February 2, it unveiled a budget of Rs 59,954.75 crore for the financial year 2024-25.
Nevertheless, reports suggest that these elections may not occur until after April due to ongoing Supreme Court litigations regarding the number of wards, the number of councillors per ward, and the ward formation process.
Elections for all 29 municipal corporations in the state, along with roughly 280 nagar parishads and nagar panchayats, are still outstanding. These local bodies are currently under administrator control.
In certain instances, elections for municipal corporations have been postponed for 2 to 3 years. Significantly, the BMC has been managed by an appointed administrator for over two and a half years since its term expired in March 2022.
