Malegaon, Bhiwandi civic polls on May 27

Mumbai, Apr 10 (UNI) Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) Nand Lal today announced that elections to Malegaon and Bhiwandi Municipal Corporations will be held on May 27.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Lal said the nomination process in the two powerloom towns will be from May three to 10.

The scrutiny of papers will take place on May 11 and the last date of withdrawal of nominations is May 14.

Counting of votes will be on May 28 and the results will be declared on the same day.

There are 84 wards in Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation and the total number of voters is 3,87,963. One ward each is reserved for scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST). The ST reservation is for a woman candidate. The reservation for OBCs is 23 wards out of which seven is for women. About 19 wards are reserved for women in the General category.

There are 72 wards in Malegaon Municipal Corporation. The total population is 2,54,055. There are two reserved wards for SC out of which one ward is reserved for woman. One ward is reserved for ST woman.

There are 19 wards for OBCs out which six are for women. There are 16 reserved wards for women in general categories.

Along with Bhiwandi and Malegaon Municipal corporation elections, by-elections to one ward each in Ulhasnagar and Nagpur Municipal Corporation will also be held on the same day.

In Nagpur, the nomination process will begin on April 17. The polling and counting of votes will take place on the same day as Bhiwandi and Malegaon corporations.

The by-election to one ward in Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation will also be held on the same day. The election schedule will be the same as that for Bhiwandi and Malegaon. By-elections to the two wards were necessitated due to the death of the elected Corporators.

Mr Lal said by-elections will be held for 45 wards in different Municipal Councils, which went to polls in November-December 2006 will be held.

The by-elections were necessitated due to the death of sitting Councillors and disqualification over caste certificate. He said out of the 45, 29 wards were going to polls because of the disqualification of the elected Councillors.

He said 22 other newly elected Councillors have challenged the disqualification in the court.

UNI