Candidates from different parties have been elected in same panel.
Cross-voting in the panels of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has left corporators anxious about whether differences among parties would pose problems for them while carrying out development works.
This is for the first time the panel system has been introduced in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Taking note of the concerns and confusion among corporators due to the new system, leaders of various parties are busy working out strategies to train the newly-elected corporators in the panel system. There are a total of 64 panels, out of which cross-voting is evident in 31.
Although the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has got a mandate in PCMC, cross-voting took place in 29 panels wherein voters chose one corporator of one party and the second of another.
Now the corporators and party leaders are worried that such panels may witness a vicious contest between corporators to prove oneself successful and project the other as a failure.
PCMC’s public relations officer Kiran Gaikwad said, “In last year’s budget, provision of Rs40 lakh was made for each ward. This money would be spent on carrying out the works recommended by the local corporator for development of his ward. However, there was no specific budget for panels.”
Political parties think that if this time funds are allocated for the entire panel, it might result in unhealthy competition between corporators of the panel.
Bhartiya Vidyarthi Sena’s state vice-president Sarang Kamthekar said, “Under such circumstances, a strong corporator in the panel is likely to get more work done in the ward and the citizens staying in the area of the weaker candidate would be neglected. Even the 50% reservation for women, which ensures at least one woman candidate in the ward, would not help as most of the women are either wives or family members of powerful politicians who would be calling the shots and trying to consolidate their own positions in view of the 2014 assembly elections.”
The Shiv Sena is planning a special training programme for its corporators.
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