Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The election of the mayor and deputy mayor will be a mere formality on February 10. The BJP has 57 corporators, while the Shinde Sena has 13, taking the alliance’s strength to 70. BJP’s senior corporator and candidate Sameer Rajurkar is in the fray for the post of mayor, while Shinde Sena’s Rajendra Janjal is contesting for the deputy mayor’s post. The opposition AIMIM has fielded candidates for both posts to ensure that the elections are not held unopposed. AIMIM has a strength of 33 corporators.
The election will be held on Tuesday at 11 am in the municipal corporation. District Collector Deelip Swami will be the presiding officer. The proceedings will begin with the scrutiny of nomination papers of the candidates in the fray. The presiding officer will then allow a 15-minute window for withdrawal of nominations.
Subsequently, the names of candidates contesting for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor will be announced in alphabetical order (Marathi). When a candidate’s name is called, corporators present will be allowed to vote in support. These votes will be recorded in the official proceedings, and the names of corporators who do not vote will also be noted.
First election without ‘horse-trading’
So far, six general elections have been held in the municipal corporation. Previously, after each election, aspirants for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor were compelled to face ‘horse-trading’, often spending crores of rupees. The numbers required for a majority were usually held by independents and smaller parties. Under the prabhag system, this led to a virtual ‘market’ for independents and small parties. This is the first election in the history of the municipal corporation where no such horse-trading is expected.
Rajurkar set to become 23rd mayor
BJP’s Sameer Rajurkar is contesting for the post of mayor, and the election formalities will be completed on Tuesday. Rajurkar is set to become the city’s 23rd mayor. Since 1988, the city has had 22 mayors.