The finalisation of the electoral panel area is likely to get delayed with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) administration seeking an extension of 15 days for submission of the draft for delimitation of the electoral panel for the forthcoming civic polls.
The state election commission had directed the PMC administration to complete the draft of delimitation by November 30. тАЬWe are still working on it. It is a tedious process. We had started the delimitation process on time but the state government decision to increase the number of corporators in PMC made us start the process from scratch. We need 15 more days and have sought permission for the same from the state election commission,тАЭ said a civic officer.
The entire process of delimitation has been clearly defined but there are specific directions to make it flawless so that it cannot be challenged in the High Court, he said, adding, тАЬThus, we are very careful and minutely drawing the lines of the electoral panel.тАЭ
The number of corporators for PMC has been increased from 164 to 173 for the next five-year term. The ongoing five-year term of PMC would end on March 15 next year and it is necessary to elect a new general body of the municipal corporation.
The 173 corporators would be elected on the basis of a three-member electoral panel system with three members from 57 electoral panels and two corporators from a two-member electoral panel. The decision for a three-member electoral panel election for the municipal corporation was declared recently by replacing the earlier system of a four-member electoral panel.
In 2017, the civic elections were held in four member wards. The PMC had a total of 162 members elected through 41 wards, that included 39 wards with four members and two wards with three members. Later, two more members were elected with inclusion of 11 new villages in the civic jurisdiction, taking the total strength to 164 members in the current five-year term.
The Maharashtra government recently merged 23 more villages in PMC limits, increasing its geographical area and population. However, the state election commission while directing the civic administration to undertake the delimitation process increased the number of seats to 166 for the next elections based on the 2011 census figures as the 2021 census was delayed due to pandemic.
BJP had won a full majority in 2012 by winning 97 of the total of 162 seats. The BJP had come to power for the first time in PMC by dislodging NCP. The NCP had bagged 39 seats, Shiv Sena won 10 seats, Congress won nine seats, MNS won two seats, AIMIM won one seat while four seats were won by Independents.
