The SEC had told the BMC in August 2022 to stop the process related to the polls. Fadnavis said the BJP was ready and it also wanted the BMC polls to be held immediately.
Meanwhile, speaking on the controversy over the allotment of an office for Mumbai suburban guardian minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha in the BMC headquarters, Fadnavis said that the office would be dismantled once the BMC polls are held and the civic general body comes into place.
“There are two different cases. There is no stay on the increase in the number of wards. But the reservation (OBC) case has been clubbed with many other cases in the Supreme Court. There, the SC said till these cases are decided, no local polls can be held. We also want the BMC polls, we are prepared. But we are not over the SC. We can go to the SEC and tell them to hold the elections,” Fadnavis said. “The BMC has given Rs 35 crore for all 36 assembly constituencies in Mumbai. Since there were no corporators and citizens had no place to redress their grievances, this office has been created as a temporary measure,” Fadnavis said.
He also said the BMC’s desalination project will take off as tenders will be floated in October this year. “The feasibility report is ready, so this project has not been halted in any way,” Fadnavis said.
Last month, the Sena (UBT) had hit out at the BMC administration for allotting an office for Lodha in the BMC headquarters. Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray said that encroachments had moved into the BMC, and the civic body’s headquarters will probably be renamed as ‘Casa BMC’ sounding like a builder’s advertisement. The corporators’ term ended in March 2022 and the BMC is being run by municipal commissioner IS Chahal who is also its administrator.
The pandemic initially delayed the polls, followed by the SC case on OBC quota. There were additional delays as MVA government increased the number of wards from 227 to 236 and the Shinde government reversed this. The final decision on the number of wards is pending before SC.
