Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The municipal corporation general body has traditionally been dominated by senior corporators. So far, six municipal corporation elections have been held, and several experienced corporators have been elected four to five times. This year too, six former mayors are set to contest the upcoming civic elections, though a few former mayors have decided to stay away from the race.
New corporators are often unaware of how the municipal corporation administration works, including procedures, meeting protocols, and official decorum. This lack of experience sometimes creates difficulties for political parties. For example, in the 2015 elections, one political party had 24 elected members. When it came time to elect various office-bearers, many of them did not even know that a nomination form had to be submitted to contest for those posts. As a result, one important election went uncontested.
Keeping such experiences in mind, political parties are now expected to prioritise capable and experienced candidates in the upcoming municipal elections. With the ward reservation draw announced on Tuesday, the electoral picture has become clearer, and parties have already started evaluating potential candidates. In most wards, the focus is on fielding either senior or sure-shot winning candidates.
Among all parties, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction has the highest number of former mayors and senior corporators. From this camp, Trimbak Tupe, Vikas Jain, Nandkumar Ghodele, Anita Ghodele, and Gajanan Barwal are expected to enter the fray. In addition, the senior-most corporator and former mayor Rasheed Mamu is also likely to contest from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.
According to sources, former mayors Kala Ojha, Kishanchand Tanwani, Bapu Ghadamode, and Sudam Mama are not likely to contest this time.
Prabhag system to pose challenges
For the first time, elections in the city will be held under the prabhag system. This change is expected to make the contest more challenging for all candidates. Each prabhag will represent a population of around 40,000 to 45,000, and the candidate securing the highest votes within the reserved category will be elected. As a result, even for political veterans, this election is likely to be a true test of strength and popularity.