The dates are in. The model code of conduct in already in effect. And Mumbai will go to vote for the civic elections on February 21. State election commissioner JS Saharia made an announcement to this effect on Wednesday afternoon
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and CMâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Devendra Fadnavis will take the final call on their coalition in the state
The dates are in. The model code of conduct in already in effect. And the city will go to vote for the civic elections on February 21. State election commissioner JS Saharia made an announcement to this effect on Wednesday afternoon. He also declared a schedule for nine other municipal corporations, including Thane, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ulhasnagar and Nagpur, along with 25 zill parishads and 283 panchayat samitis. These elections are generally looked as mini Assembly polls because they cover 80 per cent of the state’s total voters.
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Model code of conduct
“The model code of conduct has come into force with this announcement, and I ask all parties and candidates to not violate it,” said the commissioner, adding that the commission had been fairly successful in controlling irregularities in the recently concluded municipal council polls.
He said the government will not able to do any development work or make announcements that may influence voters in the districts where the ZP and civic polls are scheduled. “However, the districts that don’t have polls may continue development works, but political parties cannot resort to any step that will violate the code,” said Saharia.
Barring Mumbai, all other civic bodies will have a prabhag system, in which multiple representatives will be elected from among candidates. In Mumbai, only one representative will be elected.
Sena, BJP hash it out
Meanwhile, the Sena and BJP have started their inevitable conversation about a pre-poll alliance in Mumbai, along with other corporations and the ZPs.
On Wednesday, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that he was never against an alliance with the BJP. “We have been there together for so many years. The discussion should start between our respective representatives by tonight, though there is no formal proposal (from the BJP). The final decision will be taken by me and the CM (Devendra Fadnavis),” he said.
However, he said that if the discussions don’t yield any results, his party would simply go solo. “We are ready for any eventuality,” he said, adding the local leaders have been asked to decide pacts in ZP polls.
Additionally, in light of the recent SC ruling about the use of religion to seek votes, he said that his party would not drop the agenda of Hindutva, but insisted that being Hindu does not necessarily mean he would seek votes in the name of his religion.
Even Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar said the two parties would start discussion on Wednesday itself. “Since Thackeray has made his expectation for the pact public, the BJP would also like to say that it too was positive about the discussion.”
“What the BJP wants is a transparent working agenda in the BMC and it does not think much about how many seats it wants to contest in the BMC polls. And hence, we will start deliberations from Wednesday itself,” said Shelar after the BJP leaders met at CM’s official residence on Wednesday afternoon.
On Thursday, the BJP’s state executive will meet in Thane to further deliberate on the upcoming polls. After finishing first in the recently-held municipal council polls across the state, the party has an equally challenging task heading into the race for 10 municipal corporations and 25 ZPs.
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