NASHIK :
Conduct election of NMC standing committee chairperson on March 6. This election should be conducted secretly and table ballot papers in a sealed envelop to the registrar general of the court, ordered Mumbai High Court on Monday to the Divisional Commissioner and has kept next hearing tomorrow (Mar 4). With the HC order, the issue of an acting chairperson has been cleared and restlessness in ruling BJP party has grown as HC ordered to conduct election secretly.
Hearing over a petition challenging the election of standing committee chairperson stayed by town secretary department was held on Monday before HC bench of justice Kathwala and justice Chhagla. Court heard both sides. Lawyers of town planning department informed that there was not any stay about standing committee chairperson election.
HC did not consider the argument by Shiv Sena lawyer Adv Anturkar about the number of members valid and made it clear that this election process cannot be stopped as per Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act. Shiv Sena corporator Jyoti Khole appointed a lawyer, however, the court slammed her as he is not standing committee member and party. Senior counsellor Shrihari Ane, Adv Jay Bhatiya and Adv Pravin Thorat argued on behalf of BJP.
The strength of ruling BJP in Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has lowered to 64 from 66. As the strength of BJP has lowered, reduce the number of its members to eight from nine and increase the number of Shiv Sena members to 5 from 4, demanded Shiv Sena group leader Vilas Shinde to the town development department.
Taking note of this the department had ordered the Mayor to appoint three Shiv Sea members as per the strength of corporators. However, Mayor Satish Kulkarni kept the orders aside and had announced the appointment of two Shiv Sena members and four members of BJP. Vilas Shinde had informed town development again about this and had demanded to spilt a resolution regarding this.
Followed by this, the town planning department had on Tuesday took the opinion of the Municipal Commissioner and issued an order stating to put interim stay over the implementation of resolution number 196. The department had ordered to table a proposal with clear views after taking provisions in the act. Accordingly, the department had stayed the standing committee chairperson election.
