Mumbai: Maharashtra government has initiated the process for the appointment of administrators on Navi Mumbai, Aurangabad and Vasai-Virar municipal corporations as the elections have been deferred because of the coronavirus crisis.
The government’s move comes close on the heels of a letter sent by the Maharashtra State Election Commission asking it to soon appoint administrators.
The State Election Commission last month had accepted the government’s request and defer the elections to these three municipal corporations in the wake of COVID pandemic.
State Election Commission officer told FPJ,’’ The term of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation ended on April 28 while Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation on May 7 and Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation on June 28.
Due to coronavirus pandemic, the election process cannot be initiated and therefore polls have been postponed till the crisis is over. Therefore, the State Election Commission asked the state government to appoint administrators till the elections take place.’’
Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, who are the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners in the state, have already taken the decision to jointly contest elections to these three bodies and launched talks. Three parties separately addressed rallies in Aurangabad and Navi Mumbai but in the wake of spurt in coronavirus cases they suspended gathering of people.
Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, NCP state president Jayant Patil and Congress state chief Balasaheb Thorat made repeated statements that they will repeat the MVA experiment in these three civic bodies to defeat BJP. Meanwhile, the term of nine municipalities, 1,566 village panchayats and 15 panchayat samitis was also over. The government will soon appoint administrators.
