Breach of conduct: Poll body seeks Dy CM's explanation

The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has sought an explanation from Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, for alleged violation of code of conduct that is in effect in the state where civic body elections are on in three phases.

The move comes after Opposition parties complained that Pawar laid the foundation stone of a bridge in Pune on January 4, a few minutes after the dates for elections to the 27 zilla parishad and 10 municipal corporations were announced.

The SEC is planningn to seek a similar explanation from the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation, election for which is slated for February 16, after the civic body’s standing committee cleared projects — of over Rs 80 crore. These proposals include the repair of roads in five wards and the appointment of a third-party auditor (consultancy firm SGS) for the purpose.

An SEC official said on Friday that the commission has received complaint about Pawar allegedly violating the code of conduct by performing a ground-breaking ceremony for multi-layering the Mumbai-Pune National Highway Number 4. The civic body’s head has already issued notices to the pertinent persons.

The Commission’s letter has sought Pawar clarification, the SEC official told Business Standard. “We will take the future course of action after receiving his explanation,” he added. Ditto stands the case with GMMC.

Ajit, nephew of NCP chief and Union minister Sharad Pawar, was not traceable for comment. His party colleague, legislator A Bhosale, said Pawar’s official vehicle used to party flags.

The SEC, which recently conducted elections to the 195 municipalities in the state, was keeping a close eye for incident-free polling process, the official added.

Congress, NCP differ over alliance

Serious differences have surfaced between the ruling alliance’s Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party on striking a deal for the upcoming election to the 227-member Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

While the NCP is sticking to its guns for claiming 65 seats, the Congress is in no mood to leave more than 34 seats. The Congress is going by the NCP’s performance in the 2007 civic elections; it strongly feels Sharad Pawar’s party has a minuscule presence in the state capital.

Talks to settle the issue was held even today, but they remained inconclusive.

On its part, the Congress is banking a slew of state government decisions on the developmental as its poll plank. These include additional floor space index for Mumbai suburbs, redevelopment of Dharavi slum and an amendment to the Development Control Regulations. The party feels such a tactic would help it defeat the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance which is ruling the civic body for over a decade.

In any case, the Congress is peeved at the NCP’s move to independently fight elections to the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad corporations.