A number of sitting corporators of Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) were irked with the new draft ward boundaries published by the corporation on Monday. They alleged that the formation of new wards by dividing the existing wards will make them difficult to win the election. However, they can submit their objections and suggestions to the election department of PMC by June 24 evening.
Following the rise in population, the number of wards has increased from 20 to 30, and subsequently, the number of seats has also increased from 79 to 89. Earlier, each ward had four seats, but now each ward will have three seats. However, the new ward boundaries have been drawn by dividing the existing wards and this has affected many sitting corporators as their areas now fall into other wards and other areas come into their ward.
Netra Kiran Patil, a sitting corporator of BJP from ward number 4 said that a few areas of her ward have been merged with ward number 5 and similarly, a few areas of ward number 5 now fall in her ward. “I will submit my objections after consulting senior party leader MLA Prashant Thakur,” said Patil.
Due to the formation of new wards, many senior BJP and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) corporators will have to shift to other wards.
While talking to the media, rebel BJP corporator Leena Garad claimed that ward number 5 in Kharghar has hit badly due to ward formation. She alleged that her ward has been divided into three wards to reduce her growing political presence.
The People and Worker Party (PWP) has a strong presence in rural areas of Panvel. Interestingly, the ward of Haresh Keni, a rebel corporator of PWP, who has won the municipal elections from PWP but has been seen in many programs of BJP for the last one and a half years, is not impacted. There is no major change in his ward.
Even the ward of Mayor Dr. Kavita Choutmal has been affected due to new ward formation and she is contemplating registering objections.
