Bombay High Court seeks reply in plea challenging reduction of councillors in civic body

The Eknath Shinde government on August 8 this year had reduced the number of councillors for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls

The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Maharashtra government and the State Election Commission (SEC) to file their affidavits in a plea challenging the reduction of councillors from 236 to 227 in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

A Division Bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Gauri Godse was hearing a petition filed by former councillor of the civic body, Raju Pednekar, who belongs to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. The petition challenged an ordinance passed by the Eknath Shinde government on August 8 this year reducing the number of councillors for the BMC polls.

The court noted the petition raised a seemingly complex issue and it would have to be heard only after giving the respondents a chance to respond. The Bench directed the respondents to file a preliminary reply by November 25 and posted the matter to be heard on November 30.

In November 2021, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray had decided to increase the number of wards from 227 to 236. However, in August, the current government reverted to the earlier number.

The plea mentioned, “The elections are already overdue by more than six months and if the ordinance is not stayed, then the SEC will not be able to conduct the polls.”