Maharashtra to hold direct elections for Presidents of ULBs

MUMBAI: Two new bills in Maharashtra will enable elections of Presidents of Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Gram Panchayats directly by the voters. The bills were cleared by the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Tuesday, August 23 after being cleared by the Legislative Assembly on Monday.

Amidst strong opposition of the bills, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde explained that the aim of the bills is to bring more accountability to urban local bodies. Earlier, the leaders of these local bodies were elected by their members. Ambadas Danve, the leader of the opposition opposed the bills saying, “what would happen if the president were chosen by one party while council members from a different party held the majority.” According to him, this move will lead to concentration of power in the hands of one person. But Shinde has reiterated that it was a collective decision.