Maharashtra headed for mini Vidhan Sabha polls

With the Supreme Court okaying the political reservations to the other backward classes (OBCs), Maharashtra is bracing for a mini Vidhan Sabha polls of sorts with majority of the municipal corporations including Mumbai all set for elections.

This election would be a litmus test for all the four big parties - BJP, NCP, Congress and the two factions of Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.

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The polls come ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and thereafter the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls, and would be contested fiercely by the big parties as well smaller parties, local alliances and fronts.

The State Election Commission (SEC) of Maharashtra would notify the polls soon - once the apex court’s order is available.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court approved the Banthia Commission report and gave a nod to 27 percent reservation for OBC candidates in local bodies.

The elections are due in 23 municipal corporations, 220 municipal councils, 25 zilla parishads and 284 panchayat samitis.

The elections would be spread in all the five geographical regions - Mumbai-Konkan, Western Maharashtra, North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha.

As far as Mumbai and the larger Mumbai metropolitan region is concerned, all the nine corporations would go for polls - Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Panvel, Bhiwandi-Nizampur and Mira-Bhayander.

The IT hub and culture city of Pune, the pilgrimage town of Nashik, the tourism capital of Aurangabad, orange city of Nagpur and Amravati would be heading for polls.

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Even as the Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents - Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Congress and the ruling BJP and Eknath Shinde-led rebel faction were engaged in a game of oneupmanship, the SEC is working on the schedule.

Several factors have to be taken into account before announcing the polls including the current monsoon and the festive season ahead.

While it is clear that BJP-Eknath Shinde faction and parties like Raj Thackeray-led MNS will go together in the municipal corporations, the Congress is yet undecided whether to go with Shiv Sena and NCP.

With the changed political situation in the wake of split in Shiv Sena and the new Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government in place, the elections would be crucial for all the parties.