After SC’s status quo order, uncertainty over civic polls increase further

If the SC upholds the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government’s decision to revert to the 2017 wards status, elections are likely to be delayed further

Mumbai: After the Supreme Court on Monday ordered maintaining the status quo on ward formation, uncertainty looms over the municipal corporation elections slated to be held in Mumbai and 13 cities.

File photo of the Supreme Court of India. (HT ARCHIVES)

If the SC upholds the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government’s decision to revert to the 2017 wards status, elections to the municipal corporations and other local bodies are likely to be delayed further.

The SC on Monday heard petitions that challenged the government’s decision to scrap ward formation. In response to the interim application filed by the state, it also ordered that status quo be maintained on its own ruling to hold elections in 92 municipal corporations and four nagar panchayats without Other Backward Class quota. The apex court posted the matter for hearing in five weeks’ time.

The previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government had ordered the increase of the number of wards in proportion to the projected rise in the population; in Mumbai, the number of wards went up to 236 from 227. If the SC upholds this, elections may likely take place within two months of the court’s order.

As things stand now, the latest SC ruling has put the election process on hold for at least five weeks, giving rise to further uncertainty over the conduct of the polls. The government scrapped the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA)’s decision two weeks ago and said that the status of 2017-formation and number of wards will be followed.

“After the Shinde-Fadnavis government decision, we apprised the SC and sought the direction. If we follow the 2017 ward status, we will have to again follow the election process including delimitation, drawing of reservation and publishing electoral rolls. This takes more than three months, which means the deferment of the polls by that much time. The SC decision over the ward formation and their number is expected only after five weeks, which means the uncertainty over the actual conduct of the polls exists,” said Kiran Kurundar, secretary, State Election Commission.

Kurundkar said that if the apex court upheld the delimitation and increased number of wards finalised as per the Thackeray government’s decision, the actual polls could be conducted in just a few weeks after court decision. “The pre poll process as per the revised system of wards has been completed and actual poll program will need just a few weeks,” he added.

The elections to 96 urban bodies too are expected to be delayed awaiting the SC order on the OBC quota in these bodies. The state government had moved the SC requesting it to allow the OBC quota as per its July 20 order as the nomination process in these bodies were not started when the verdict was given.