Back-Door Entry To Pune Municipal Corporation: Who Are Co-opted Members And What Can They Do? | Explained

Pune: Political candidates who could not get party tickets to contest the recently held Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) election are now attempting to get a back-door entry into the house as co-opted members. 

Reportedly, 13 members will be nominated to the general body of 165 corporators. BJP, with 119 corporators, can co-opt 10 members, while NCP can give a chance to two, and Congress can induct one member. 

Moreover, the BJP, which denied nominations to relatives of current MLAs and MPs, may introduce the same policy for co-opted members. 

"We will discuss the details about the co-ops in the coming days. The core team will take a final call soon," Ganesh Bidkar told Times of India, a newly elected corporator from the BJP in PMC and former leader of the house.

“A lottery system would choose a mayor within one week. After the mayor is finalised, he or she will call a general body meeting. Following this, the appointment of the nominated members will be held based on the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act. The Act has a few limitations on powers as far as nominated corporators are concerned,” said PMC officials.

The MMC Act states that, "A nominated councillor shall not have the right to vote at any meeting of the municipal corporation and committees of the civic body and to get elected as a mayor of the corporation or a chairperson of any of the committees of the corporation.” And these 13 nominated members can participate in discussions, raise suggestions and objections to proposals. 

"A decision on the co-opted members will be taken by party chief Ajit Pawar. A meeting in this regard will be held soon. We are currently preparing for the Zilla Parishad polls and selection of candidates for them," Pradeep Deshmukh told ToI. 

In addition to this, along with the co-opted corporators at the general body level, members are also nominated at the ward level. They will be part of the ward committee and work along with elected corporators. The MMC Act states these nominated members are selected amongst the members of recognised non-government organisations and community-based organisations engaged in social welfare activities working within the area of the ward committee. And the persons need to be registered as electors in the wards within the jurisdiction of the committee.