On Tuesday, February 15, the Bombay High Court finished the hearing of the public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the February 1 notification proclaimed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner, stated reports.
The notification had redrawn the electoral wards for the upcoming BMC elections. The delimitation process had to be initiated since the number of electoral wards in Mumbai surged from 227 to 236. After the directions of the HC on Monday, February 14, the State Election Commission (SEC) responded to the PIL, highlighted accounts.
The PIL stated that the 2005 order of the SEC restraining civic authorities from altering boundaries six months before civic elections was confined to only the boundary of the entire civic body and not to the electoral wards, cited narratives.
According to reports, the SEC elaborated that the petitioner’s contention that the civic commissioner wasn’t an independent entity wasn’t maintainable since it works on the SEC’s behalf. Therefore, as a designated authority the commissioner is answerable to the body in regards to the elections. Thus, it believes that the PIL must be dismissed with costs.
The bench was apprised by the advocates that because the SEC has 52 staff of the sanctioned 82, it delegated its authority to those in the Maharashtra government. The authority further added that it appointed civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal to issue the notification for redrawing the electoral wards.
Based on accounts, the bench was told that the issue of not altering boundaries within six months of the elections was only for the overall boundary and not that of individual wards.
SEC has appointed a chief secretary (finance) to receive the objections and suggestions to the electoral ward maps published by Chahal.
The court was reportedly also apprised that the BMC commissioner would be present while hearing the 816 objections and suggestions but someone would independently prepare the report and submit his recommendations to the SEC.
Upon hearing all submissions, the bench said that it concluded the hearing of the PIL and will pass the order on Thursday, February 17.
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