Voting in elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other 9 civic bodies in several cities of Maharashtra began on February 21. In this election about 2,275 candidates, which include 1,190 males, 1,084 females and one transgender, are in fray for the 227 seats. 13 political parties including Shiv Sena, MNS, NCP, Congress and BJP among others will contest in this civic body polls. The results of the BMC Elections 2017 will be announced on 23 February.
It is going to be a five corner contest with parties like BJP, Shiv Sena, MNS, NCP and Congress trying to outdo each other in the electoral battle of India’s richest Municipal corporation.
Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena, both allies at centre and state, have parted ways for municipal elections after being together for 20 years. On 26 January, when Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray snapped the alliance with BJP for the civic polls, he said the Shiv Sena would henceforth contest all elections on its own.
Elections to #BMC & nine other civic bodies in Maharashtra to be held today. Preparations underway at a booth on Mumbai’s Pedder Road. pic.twitter.com/cjQOv9v08i
— ANI (@ANI_news) February 21, 2017
Nagpur: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat casts his vote at a polling booth in Bharat Mahila Vidyalaya for Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections pic.twitter.com/7mOTW9xMns
— ANI (@ANI_news) February 21, 2017
With a city inhabiting over 2.2 crore people, only 46 lakhs votes were cast in 2012 civic polls, the average voter turn out was 44%.
Last civic polls saw highest voter turn out of 49 .5 % in S Ward while A ward recorded astoundingly low voter turn out of 34.2%. In 2007 polls, voter turn out was even lesser at 42%.
The lack of interest of voters could be attributed to non-performance of the corporators irrespective of their party and a not so friendly voting process. There are 227 wards and 91 lakh voters (50k Male+ 41 k female). On an average 42000 voters per ward so even a few hundred votes can sway the result in other’s favour.
Police have taken adequate security measures for smooth conduction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.
