The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will hold elections to its four statutory – standing, improvement, education and BEST – and six special committees beginning this week. Chairpersons for standing and improvement committees will be elected on April 4, while the election for education and BEST panels will be held on April 5.
The polls to choose heads of works' committees for city and suburbs will take place on April 10. Public health, market and gardens, law and women and child welfare committees will elect their chairpersons on April 11.
Civic officials said these elections can be held even as code of conduct has been enforced in view of Lok Sabha elections. All the six constituencies in Mumbai will vote on April 24.
"The code of conduct will not prove a hurdle in holding the elections for civic panels. The elections to committees is a routine work and we are doing just that," a senior official from the municipal secretary's department said, wishing anonymity.
Sources in the BMC claimed the ruling Shiv Sena may continue with Mankhurd corporator Rahul Shewale as chairman of the important standing committee. "If that happens, it will be Shewale's fifth consecutive term, a record. Until now, Shewale and Shiv Sena MLA and former corporator Ravindra Waikar share the record for heading the panel for four times in a row," a source in the BMC said.
Clearly enjoying confidence of his party bosses, Shewale is also contesting general election from south central constituency.
The BJP is likely to name its corporators Ujjwala Modak and Vinod Shelar as chairpersons of improvement and education committees respectively. Modak is likely to replace Ram Barot and Shelar set to take over charge from Manoj Kotak.
Meanwhile, citizen corporator from south Mumbai, Makrand Narvekar, is unlikely to continue as chairman of BMC's law committee. This is mainly due to his brother and former Shiv Sena spokesperson Rahul Narvekar, who has defected to NCP and is contesting the general elections.
"Makrand Narvekar enjoyed support of the saffron party last year. However, since his brother has snapped tie with Shiv Sena, it is unlikely the party will be willing to retain the younger Narvekar. This is especially when the corporator is promoting his NCP candidate-brother," the source added.
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