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Congress, NCP back down on opposing three-member ward system
Two senior leaders from the Congress and NCP backed down from opposing the two-member ward decision taken by the Sena for all civic bodies going to the polls in the state
PUNE The Shiv Sena’s partners at the state-level in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), seem all set to reprise the alliance in Pune for the municipal elections slated for February 2022.
Two senior leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress backed down from opposing the two-member ward decision taken by the Sena for all civic bodies going to the polls in the state.
The NCP and the Congress were in favour of three-member ward councils.
Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, also state revenue minister was in the city on Friday and clearly signalled an alliance with the Sena and the NCP for the Pune civic polls was imminent.
Thorat said, “There were differences over panel structure. Some are in favour of two seats and some three, and some are in favour of the existing four-member panel. Chief minister given the nod for three and it has been accepted by the cabinet.”
The NCP’s Ajit Pawar, also in the city on Friday, backed the state government’s decision on two-member wards. Ajit Pawar said, “ Cabinet took the decision on three members in a ward. As chief minister had made the decision now elections will held as per the decision taken by the state government.”
Pune voters not happy with three-member wards
Parivartan, a Pune-based NGO has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) against the state government’s decision to have three -member wards.
Civic activist Qaneez Sukhrani has also challenged this decision. In her letter to the state government, Sukhrani said, “State government’s decision is creating confusion among voters. Every election there are different panel structures. Ideally the principle is to decentralise power, but by creating multi-member wards, no elected member remains answerable to the citizens.”
