8 Municipal wards in the city to witness re-elections

Mumbai, Aug 22 (UNI) The State Election commission announced that by-polls to eight Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wards will be held on october 7.

The by-polls are being held following the Bombay High Court's ruling cancelling the caste certificates of the elected corporators in these wards.

The decision for the re-election was taken today and the political parties have started preparing for the same. Except ward number 76, where the elected Corporator S Jamsandekar of the Shiv Sena was murdered that resulted in the by-election, the councillors from the other seven wards were disqualified for submitting fake caste certificates to the Election Commission.

Elected councillor from ward number 67, Lalji Yadav is the only candidate from Samajwadi Party and the other six corporators are from the Shiv Sena.

Standing Committee Chairman Ravindra Waikar said, ''Re-elections have been announced in eight Municipal wards and we are still working on the legal aspects, and our leaders will take a decision on the same.'' Opposition leader in the Corporation Raj Hans Singh of Congress said, ''We are confident that the court will give a decision in our favour and the runner-up candidate will be declared the winner and there will not be any need for re-elections.'' The Model Code of conduct will be enforced from today in all the eight wards, that will face by-polls, till the results are declared on October 8.

UNI