Council polls: Picnic for corporators?

With the legislative council polls due Friday, corporators from Congress and Shiv Sena have been sent a forced picnic, to avoid last minute poaching.

With the legislative council polls due Friday, corporators from Congress and Shiv Sena have been sent a forced picnic, to avoid last minute poaching.

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While the Congress’ corporators are enjoying the beaches of Goa since Sunday, the Sena corporators are at farmhouses in Vasai and Thane.

Three candidates are in the fray for two seats in the state’s legislative council — Sena’s Ramdas Kadam, Congress' Bhai Jagtap and BJP’s Madhu Chavan.

There are 225 total votes, of which Sena has 125 votes, while the Congress have 110 votes. A candidate needs a minimum of 78 to be elected. The top two candidates will be elected.

All parties fear last minute poaching from rivals and have shifted their corporators to ‘safe’ places.

“We are enjoying our ‘picnic’ in Goa,” said Rajhans Singh, Congress MLA and opposition leader in the BMC. “We just want to keep our people away from the saffron alliance and also give a break to our corporators who work round the year,” he added.