Maharashtra moves Bill to reverse Uddhav government’s decision to increase BMC wards

The NCP and Mr. Thackeray’s Shiv Sena opposed the Bill and said the amendment is in violation of the Supreme Court’s order directing a status quo on this issue

The Maharashtra Assembly on Wednesday passed a Bill to reverse the decision taken by Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government of increasing nine wards in Mumbai’s civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The Nationalist Congress Party and Mr. Thackeray’s Shiv Sena opposed the Bill and said the amendment is in violation of the Supreme Court’s order directing a status quo on this issue. Sena MLA Aditya Thackeray said the bill was “unconstitutional, just like the government”.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the State government’s lawyer clarified that the Supreme Court’s order that pertained to only reservation for the Other Backward Classes.

He said, “Our ordinance is only for reversing the number of wards from 236 to 227. There is no legal impediment and therefore no violation”, he said.

Rahul Narvekar, Legislative Assembly Speaker said in a democracy, “courts cannot decide on the enactment of a legislation. It is the prerogative of the Legislature.”

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde went one step ahead and said, “In a democracy, numbers are important and we have the majority. We have not acted unconstitutionally.” He also said, his government has received 892 complaints against the delimitation of wards by the previous government.

Congress’s MLA Amin Patel said ward delimitation was done to benefit a particular party and was not in the interest of the citizens of Mumbai.