Party says EC has blocked many wards for women where its leaders had done well in 2017
BMC elections are likely to be held after the monsoon; (inset) Ravi Raja, former Congress corporator who has filed the petition. File pic
As it grapples with a massive rebellion that has forced it to wage court and street battles, the Shiv Sena now has to face a hostile Congress, its alliance partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, over the BMC polls. The Congress has moved the court challenging the ward reservation for the Mumbai civic elections, expected to be held after the monsoon.
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Ravi Raja, former Congress corporator and BMC opposition leader, said, “I’ve filed a petition against the Election Commission in the Bombay High Court. During the draw of ward reservation, the Commission didn’t follow the guideline,” Ravi Raja said.
The Congress is unhappy with the way the Election Commission reserved 50 per cent of the wards for women. With some tweaking, wards in the BMC have been increased from 227 to 236. Ravi Raja said the EC went ahead with its priority lists that had been made with inputs provided by the civic corporation, which was then under Sena’s control.
Ravi Raja said his party is at a disadvantage as many wards, where his party men were elected in 2017, have now been reserved for women. Ravi Raja said his ward, No. 182, as well as those around it have been reserved for women, leaving him with no wards in his home base Sion.
“I’ve filed a petition against the election process that doesn’t have any relations with the current political situation.”
“Nearly 20 former corporators of Congress out of 31 are suffering by this ward reservation,” he said. The hearing has been scheduled for July 1. Reports said the Congress was opposed to the election process from the very beginning. It had also objected to ward delimitation, saying they had been designed in a way to weaken the party.
BJP demands extension
Meanwhile, the BJP has demanded more time to file suggestions and objections over the draft voter list. “The BMC has published a voter list but there are lots of errors,” said Bhalchandra Shirsat, BJP spokesperson. He added, “I had written a letter to the EC and BMC administration. As per BMC notification, citizens can file suggestions or objections over the voter list till July 1. But there is a need for an extension till July 11.”
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