​Ajit Pawar hints of two-member ward system for civic polls

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has hinted at a two-member ward system for next year’s civic polls in the state after deputy chief minister and NCP senior leader Ajit Pawar expressed his opinion in the favour of a two-member ward system

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has hinted at a two-member ward system for next year’s civic polls in the state after deputy chief minister and NCP senior leader Ajit Pawar expressed his opinion in the favour of a two-member ward system.

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The then Devendra Fadnavis government had introduced four-member ward system before 2017 municipal elections in nine local bodies including Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad while in Mumbai, there was a single-member ward system.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Pawar said, “In my view, there should be two-member ward system in the upcoming civic polls. However, senior leaders in Maha Vikas Aghadi senior will take a final call on the panel system.”

The change in ward-system is key to strategizing civic polls, as seen in the past.

After clarifying that it is his personal opinion, Pawar added, “There are many civic polls and Zilla Parishad elections scheduled between November 2021 and February 2022. However, the state election commission will take a final decision on the background of Covid-19 pandemic situation.”

Having lost the last civic polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, NCP has already started preparations with Pawar conducting a party meeting in Pune.

Pawar said the previous BJP government took the decision for their convenience.

Pawar has also instructed party workers and leaders to be prepared for the civic polls and demanded suggestions for an alliance and strategy to win the civic body polls.

In the meeting with NCP leaders and workers, many had demanded scrapping of the present four-member panel system of wards and introduced a two members system to keep away the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is the ruling party in PMC with a majority.

NCP believes that smaller ward arrangement is beneficial for the party to win more seats. Smaller size of wards forces the voters to focus on the candidates rather than party and voters tend to vote for a party as there are more ‘unknown’ or ‘lesser known’ candidates in the fray in the larger size of wards (prabhags).

Of the total 164 seats, BJP currently has a majority with 98 corporators and it is the ruling party in PMC. The NCP is the second largest party with 42 corporators followed by Shiv Sena and Congress 10 each, MNS 2, AIMIM-01