Decision comes after letter on Nov 1 from Returning Officer and High Court order on No 6 that set aside Assistant Charity Commissioner’s direction on the list
The Asiatic Society in Mumbai. File pic
The elections of the iconic Asiatic Society of Mumbai (ASM), originally scheduled for November 8, have officially been postponed, the Managing Committee announced on Friday following an urgent meeting.
The decision comes in the wake of a letter dated November 1 from the Returning Officer (RO) and an order issued by the Bombay High Court on November 6 that set aside the Assistant Charity Commissioner’s direction on the membership eligibility list.
Also read: Mumbai: Iconic Asiatic Library at centre of BJP-Congress battle
During a virtual meeting held at 10.00 am on Friday, the Managing Committee deliberated on the implications of these communications and unanimously resolved that the elections should not proceed as scheduled. The formal resolution was thereafter communicated to all members.
mid-day on Friday reported that the ASM – founded in 1804 and housed in the historic Town Hall at Fort – was gearing up for what promised to be a contested poll between panels backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC). The spike in new memberships in recent months and disputes over the voter list had already raised questions about the fairness of the process.
While the election has been postponed, no fresh date has been announced. The Managing Committee further indicated that the RO will work on revising the membership eligibility list and other procedural issues before a new schedule is set. Stakeholders and candidates are now awaiting further communication on the revised timeline and process.
Although the Asiatic Library (Town Hall) is not a UNESCO heritage site, it is still classified as a Grade-I heritage structure. The Society’s library houses over one lakh books, 3000 ancient manuscripts in Sanskrit, Persian, and Prakrit, and 1300 maps. It is classified as a Grade-I heritage structure.
Nov 8
Day elections were to be held
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