The increase of BMC wards brings solace to the Shiv Sena-led MVA, but a jolt to the BJP

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a case filed by BJP leaders from Maharashtra challenging the government's decision to expand the number of BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation wards to 236 from 227, citing population growth, as a huge victory for the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi.

 

The BJP, which has launched Mission 2022, has received a huge setback after filing a judicial challenge to the government's move. The BJP officials also appealed the Bombay High Court judgement allowing the MVA government to pursue the case further, but the court dismissed the saffron party's appeal.

 

The MVA government has defended the decision to expand the number of wards from 227 to 236 in light of a 3.8% rise in the population under the BMC's authority and rapid urbanisation. Furthermore, because the number of corporators was fixed at 227 in the 2001 census and was not increased following the 2011 census, the decision was made to provide elected representatives with more representation.

 

Shiv Sena has already begun poll preparations in order to retain power, while the BJP has established several poll management committees in order to defeat its former ally, Shiv Sena, in the next BMC elections in April. The BJP, which is still reeling from the loss of power it suffered when its erstwhile ally Shiv Sena split up and formed the MVA government in November 2019, claimed that the state government lacked "quantifiable data or the most recent census population data available" to justify the move, even though the last census was held in 2011.

 

The BJP has stated its intention to end the Shiv Sena's three-decade reign over India's richest civic body, the BMC. The Shiv Sena, on the other hand, has not been discouraged by the BJP's strong stances and has increased voter outreach by emphasizing the development plank alongside the traditional Marathi Manoos card.

 

 

While emphasizing corruption in the BMC and existing projects, including Shiv Sena President and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's flagship Mumbai Coastal Road project, the BJP is also firing salvos against Shiv Sena in particular. Sena and BMC have already dismissed allegations of corruption, indicating that the project will begin in December 2023.

 

As a result of the Chief Minister's recent spine surgery, the Shiv Sena has already determined that Yuva Sena Chief and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray will be the party's face and will lead the party in the BMC elections. Aaditya has increased the number of times he visits Mumbai, not just his assembly constituency of Worli, to inaugurate a spate of development and beautification projects.