Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday informed the High Court that it is ready to delete 29 villages from the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) limit. The decision whether to form new statutory body for these villages or keep continue the status of Gram Panchayat will be taken within next three months.
It’s a political decision taken during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- Shiv Sena alliance will get benefit. Former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and Shramjivi Sanghatna leader Vivek Pandit was fighting against the decision since 2009, when the VVMC was formed and 29 villages were included without consent of the villagers.
Pandit won the 2009 assembly seat from Vasai on an agenda of deletion of villages from the Corporation limit. He was with Shiv Sena till 2014, later quit the party and at present, not associated with any political party. However, in 2018 Palghar Lok Sabha by-poll, his stand to support BJP candidate Rajendra Gavit helped the party to win the seat, as Sena had fielded it’s candidate separately against BJP.
Pandit has hold on tribal which are sizeable in Palghar constituency and deciding factor in polls. Vasai, Virar and Nalasopara are urban assembly segments in tribal Palghar LS constituency. The candidate who get support of tribal, can win the LS poll. In such situation, government’s affidavit submitted to the state is considered as important and politically noticed.