CAPPING the speculation, Urban Development Department (UDD), Government of Maharashtra, issued a notificationannouncing date for drawing lots for reservation to the post of Mayor. The State Election Commission (SEC) recently completed elections to 29 municipal corporations. Once thedraw is held, the local bodies’ administration can completethe process of constitution of new House so as to hold theelection for Mayor. The programme announced by UDD is that the draw wouldbe conducted on January 22 at 11 am. Once the reservationis finalised., first meeting of the House to formally elect theMayor would be held.

 

At NMC, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has absolutemajority in the new House. It remains to be seen as to whogets the coveted post as jostling is on among leaders for thepost of Mayor and all important Chairman, StandingCommittee. Post election of Mayor, the elections to members of Standing Committee, the financial arm of the corporations, wouldbe conducted. Also, Mayor would announce name of Leader of Oppositionpost assessmentof thenumerical strengthof each of the Opposition parties. Normally,thepartywithlargest number of corporators in second position gets the position of LoP. But given the changing nature of politics and aggressive stance of BJP, the option of LoP stands open. 

 

 

 

THE number of members to be co-opted to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) may rise as Maharashtra Government has issued an ordinance raising the limit to 10 per cent or 10 members. At present, in the 151-member House, 5 members were to be co-opted. But Urban Development Department (UDD) issued a notification raising the number of co-opted members. The rise is going to benefit the BJP most as it will become easy for the party leadership to accommodate their defeated senior members. The leadership is dwelling upon probables for their cooption in NMC House. Once Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis returns from Davos, the top leaders would mull over the shortlisted names and finalise the names. In run up to elections, several party leaders had entered into thepoll fray, afterbeingoverlooked for the ticket.Some of them may have been promised to be adjusted post election and possibility of few making to NMC House through co-option cannot be ruled out. Also, some bigwigs who fell by the wayside in the election, might make the cut, said the sources.