PUNE The Maha Vikas Aghadi is attempting to loosen the BJP’s base in the rural and semi-urban areas in the state.
A decision to scrap two key decisions taken by former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, pertaining to elections to the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMC) and municipal councils, is a move in this direction.
On January 22, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray allowed members of gram panchayats, multi-purpose cooperative societies and agriculture credit societies, to elect the APMC board. Under Fadnavis, only farmers were allowed to vote.
Similarly, for municipal council elections, corporators will vote for the president of their municipal council.
Earlier, the municipal council was elected by the people and despite Cong-NCP having a majority in the said house, the council president was elected from the BJP; for instance Karad municipal council.
Earlier, on January 15, the MVA took the decision to scrap the panel system, wherein two to three members were being elected from one ward in municipal councils.
On December 5, the MVA cancelled the guarantee of over Rs 300 crore taken by the seven sugar mills controlled by the BJP, citing that these mills do fit the criteria for government guarantee.
According to local political observers, if there are more members in one panel, the BJP benefits from it, however, if there are less members in one ward, it benefits the other parties who have proved their mettle in the last five years.
{{/usCountry}}According to local political observers, if there are more members in one panel, the BJP benefits from it, however, if there are less members in one ward, it benefits the other parties who have proved their mettle in the last five years.
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