Nagpur: Former Chairman of Standing Committee Haji Abdul Gani Khan lauded the present Maharashtra Government for carving out 4-member Prabhag System for the next elections to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to be held in early 2017 and thereby providing fundamental rights to voter-citizens of the city who were deprived of contesting the local body elections in the previous system.
According to Haji Abdul Gani Khan, the State Government move on 4-Ward Prabhag System has provided common people a golden opportunity to contest the NMC poll. Previously, the local residents missed a chance to be in the fray due to reservation of Wards or Prabhags. Some of the residents in particular wards or prabhags, with their social standings or outstanding works, were unable to contest the NMC poll and serve their citizens or areas with specific mission due to reservation. They had to wait for the next five years when elections to local body are conducted. In this precious period, many deserving people were forced to eclipse with the time, Abdul Gani Khan lamented.
But now, with 4-ward prabhag system, the deserving people, no matter religion or caste, can try their luck at least as a candidate in the NMC poll. Win or lose does not matter.
Haji Abdul Gani Khan ‘predicted’ that in the next NMC poll, candidates with ground work and connected to grassroots people are likely to emerge winners rather than candidates having money and muscle power. The hardworking candidates could derive advantage of being connected with people year long. On the other hand, ‘moneyed’ candidates would get tired wooing voters with money power and ultimately would be rejected. Because people want candidates who can fulfill their aspirations in their day to day life. This is the beauty of local body elections, Khan quipped.
“The NMC poll results would show more and more Independents the winners. Over two dozen Independents would win and this will be the decisive factor in shaping the composition of ruling party in NMC. These Independents could be ‘kingmakers’ as the biggest emerging party would approach them for ruling the roost in Nagpur Municipal Corporation,” the former Chairman of Standing Committee asserted.
– Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha ( rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com )
