BMC polls 2022: Survey on expectations, performance of corporators on cards

Meanwhile, BMC has already kicked off preparations for the polls. The civic body has started the process of verification for the delimitation of the boundaries of the 24 administrative wards

Mumbai Vikas Samiti (MVS) – a body of experts comprising urban and civic planners, including architects – will be preparing a citizens’ expectation survey for the upcoming civic polls in February 2022. MVS plans to give the outcome of this study to all the candidates who will be contesting the civic polls. Along with the expectations, the survey will also focus on how satisfied the citizens are from their sitting corporators’ work.

The Mumbai Vikas Samiti plans to give the outcome of the survey to all the candidates who will be contesting the civic polls (HT FILE)

AV Shenoy, a member of MVS, said, “We had conducted a similar survey in 2017. The survey will include details about how satisfied citizens are from their current corporators and what are their expectations from the new corporators, who will be elected in the next few months.”

Shenoy added, “We plan to complete the survey by November and will take help from non-governmental organisations (NGO). After completing the survey, we will make the report public and also share it with the sitting corporators. The survey will be conducted physically or via online platform, depending on how the NGOs helping us are willing to go ahead with it.”

The current tenure of the sitting corporators will come to an end by February, and starting March, newly elected members will take up charge. The election for the new tenure is expected to take place in February 2022, depending on the Covid-19 situation. The corporation has strength of 227 seats, of which Shiv Sena has 97, followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (83), Congress (29), Nationalist Congress Party (8), Samajwadi Party (6), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (2) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena with one seat.

Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has already kicked off preparations for the polls. The civic body has started the process of verification for the delimitation of the boundaries of the 24 administrative wards. Following this, BMC will submit the list to the state election commission for suggestions and objections. It is also expected to increase the number of polling booths this year in view of the pandemic to ensure social distancing.