PUNE: As many as nine municipal corporations, including those in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Nashik, Solapur, Thane, and Brihnamumbai, are set to have administrators because of the delayed civic elections in Maharashtra.
Political leaders said they would ensure that the works were unaffected, burtappeared worried about their future, as there has been no clarity over the delimitation of the wards after the state Assembly on Monday passed two bills that could delay the polls and restart the delimitation process. The administrators took charge of the Brihanmumbai and Solapur municipal corporations on Tuesday, and of the Thane civic body on March 5.
The civic bodies of Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Nashik are slated for the same arrangement next week. The term of the Parbhani civic body will get over by mid-May.
A BJP leader in Pune said, "At present, there is chaos on many fronts. The state could not handle the OBC reservation issue. Now, a law has been passed and it will delay the civic polls. If the elections are delayed for over four months, it will be a challenge for the corporators and aspirants."
Pune mayor Muralidhar Mohol said, "The polls will be delayed because of various reasons. But rhe delay should not stop the elected representatives from serving citizens."
Senior Congress leader Aba Bagul said, "The committee will handle the civic body's daily functioning. But we do not know if it will have representation of the elected representatives. We hope that the elections are held within the next couple of months".
Leader of the house in PCMC for BJP Namdev Dhake said, "The delay in the elections will not cause any undue advantage to other political parties that we are sure of."
The NMC administration has decided to continue its preparation for the civic polls, until further order from the state election commission or the government. Tuesday was the first day of the administrator's rule in Solapu. In Kolhapur, the administrator rule is in place since the past 16 months. The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation is being ruled by an administrator for the past two years.
(With inputs from Piyush Bhusari in Pimpri, Tushar Pawar in Nashik, Abhijeet Patil in Kolhapur & Prasad Joshi in Aurangabad)
