Fifteen years later, the ‘one ward, one corporator’ system is all set to return to civic bodies in Maharashtra as the state government has directed 14 municipal corporations – which are due to hold civic polls in February 2022 – to prepare for the draft. To begin the ward construction plan, a civic election official said that though the ‘one ward, one corporator’ system is set to come into effect, there will be no change in the collective number of corporators in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.
PCMC election officer and assistant said, “We have received instructions from the state election commission to prepare the draft ward formation… commissioner Balasaheb Khandekar on Wednesday.
Khandekar said that the Election Commission has issued instructions on the basis of the notification issued by the state government in 2019. Now that the Election Commission has issued the instructions, we can say that the ‘One Ward, One Nagar Sevak’ system will be implemented in February. 2022 elections in Pimpri-Chinchwad. If the state government wants any changes, it can do so by suggesting to the Election Commission,” he said.
Khandekar said that the PCMC has 128 councilors and this number will remain after the civic polls next year. “This is because the Election Commission has decided to take into account the 2011 population census. Pimpri-Chinchwad had a population of 17 lakh in 2011. If this figure is divided by 128 corporators, each ward has over 12,000 Voters will be there.” he said.
Seema Sawale, former chairperson of PCMC Standing Committee, said that the ‘one ward, one councilor system’ has returned after 15 years. “This system was last implemented in 2007. In the 2012 civic polls, the three-municipal panel system was in force and in 2017, the four-municipal division or panel system was implemented…,” he said.
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Sawale said the ‘one ward, one councillor’ system has its advantages and disadvantages. “The biggest advantage is that the ward will be smaller and it will be easier for the candidates to campaign. However, the disadvantage is that there will be a lot of candidates in the fray and a genuine or hardworking candidate may lose the election as the votes will be split among all the candidates,” she said.
Mayor Usha Dhore said, ‘Now that the state government has taken the decision, I will go ahead with it. Whether it is a councilor ward or a four councilor panel, I am comfortable with all the systems. Those who work for the people should have no problem getting elected.
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