Finally, mayoral election to be conducted on Feb 10

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The election for the city’s 23rd mayor and deputy mayor will be held on February 10. Divisional commissioner Jitendra Papalkar issued orders regarding the election on Wednesday morning. A special meeting of all 115 corporators of the municipal corporation will be convened for this purpose. As per the commissioner’s order, district collector Deelip Swami will function as the presiding officer for the election.

The municipal corporation elections were held on January 15 and the results were declared on January 16. Soon thereafter, the corporation sent a letter to the divisional commissioner requesting the mayoral election. However, due to the zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections, the mayoral election programme was delayed. On Wednesday, the divisional commissioner finalised the election date and appointed the presiding officer.

On January 29, the municipal corporation’s secretariat section will announce the detailed election schedule, including distribution of nomination forms and the last date for filing nominations.

In the municipal corporation, the BJP has secured 57 seats (corporators) and requires just one more vote to achieve a majority. AIMIM has 33 corporators, the Shinde Sena 13, the Uddhav Sena six, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi four, while the Congress and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) have one corporator each.

Intense competition within BJP

There is intense competition within the BJP for the mayor’s post, with corporators elected two or three times actively in the race. Aspirants have begun meeting both local and senior party leaders. It is being speculated that the post of deputy mayor may go to the Shinde Sena.

None of the political parties has yet finalised its group leader, nor have groups been formally registered with the divisional commissioner. The AIMIM will need to appoint both a group leader and a leader of the opposition.

Administration ready for elections

The municipal administration is fully prepared for the mayoral and deputy mayoral elections. Offices for office-bearers, required staff, the mayor’s official residence, and the general body hall have all been readied, with renovation work completed.