BMC to get administrator, as elections are delayed

The BMC headquarters at CSMT. File pic

It is now confirmed that the BMC polls will not be held anytime soon. The state Cabinet on Wednesday decided to appoint an administrator to the civic body, as the term of its house ends on March 7.

To facilitate the appointment of the municipal commissioner as the administrator, the state government will amend the Mumbai Municipal Act 1888, because it currently has no such provision. The Cabinet has approved the amendment, and it will be taken up in the budget session beginning February 28.

Like Mumbai, other poll-bound municipal and local bodies will also get an administrator. The laws governing them have the provision, and in some bodies, the bureaucrats have replaced the political heads. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has its commissioner in charge of all affairs for long, because the elections could not be held.

Elected representatives cease to hold the executive powers once the administrator takes over.

A note from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) stated that the State Election Commission (SEC) has informed the government that the polls won't be held before the expiry of the term because of the pandemic and the increase in number of civic wards. The restructuring of wards is still in process, and the administration has invited suggestions and objections from the public and political parties. "In view of the situation, the SEC has suggested appointing the administrator," read the note.

Moreover, a highly sensitive issue related to political quota for the Other Backward Class (OBC) is also likely to affect the election schedule. All political parties want polls to be held with the OBC quota that was scrapped by the Supreme Court. The state government has moved the SC with the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission's interim report that has justified the 27 per cent quota for the OBCs. The SC is expected to hear the case on Thursday or on Friday. In recent polls, OBC seats were thrown open to the general category, inviting the resentment of the affected class, though mostly OBC candidates were fielded from these seats.

7 March
Day term of BMC's elected corporators ends