The Civic Elections of MMC- 2002

The civic elections of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) assume considerable importance. The city's electorate is the largest in India and MMC happens to be one of the best and largest corporations in Asia. Indeed, conducting free and fare elections is a major challenge, since the election authorities have to ensure fuller participation of massive voters from the city.

Mumbai still retains its premier position as the industrial capital of India and has also emerged as a powerful financial centre. Consequently, corporators elected through the democratic process enjoy distinctive position and respect in the society. In turn, the citizens of the city expect them to provide responsive civic governance involving adequate and qualitative civic services. Not surprisingly organizations like Action for Good Governance and Networking in India (AGNI) are increasingly more demanding in advocating the cause of the city and its citizen's manifesto.

Good Civic Governance: Citizens' Charter
The aspiring corporator needs to:

* Understand the constituency's needs
* Have a stable and known source of income
* Be able to grasp issues of civic governance
* Have no police charges or convictions
* Have achieved something in the social or civic field
* Be ready for regular consultation
* Reveal assets before elections and regularly thereafter

Courtesy: Action for Good governance and Networking in India

The recently held civic election for Mumbai on February 10,2002 has been quite successful. Elsewhere in this issue we have carried out an exclusive article on these elections by Mr. Gerson da Cunha, convenor of AGNI giving his individual reflections. However, we wish to highlight some of the following salient features.

* Out of 8.04 mn. voters, approximately 45 % exercised their votes. The polling was as low as 17.6% in ward number 2 and as high as 58.5 % in ward number 100. In the previous elections, the average voter turnout was 47 per cent.

* During the recent elections the number of electoral wards were 227 as against 221 in 1997.

* What is the cost incurred?
For the conduct of these civic elections, an expenditure of Rs 19.84 crores was approved, but the actual expenditure turned out to be lower at Rs13.55 crores, according to an authentic source. An estimate shows that the cost per candidate is about Rs 65,617, while the cost per voter is approximately Rs17 per voter. This cost doesn't include the money spent by the candidates and their respective parties in contesting the elections. For approximately 50 per cent of the vote cast, the expenditure turns out to be Rs 34 per vote cast.
* The total candidates contesting elections were reduced from 2732 in 1997 to 2065 in 2002. This may perhaps be a reflection of (a) more effective screening of the candidates and (b) the impact of increase in the security deposits. The amount of security deposits was raised from a mere 200 rupees in 1997 to rupees 3000 for general candidates and from Rs. 100 to Rs. 1500 for reserved category candidates.

The composition of new civic body in terms the party position is set out below:

Obviously the new civic body will have many challenges and opportunities to improve the management of civic amenities ranging from sewerage to water supply, from health and education to regulation of hawkers and slum improvements, from expanding roads to enhancing the productivity of existing roads, from raising new avenues of civic revenues to efficient deployment of the available financial resources and so on. While wishing the new civic body all the best in their new endeavor, let us all hope that the quality of life for the citizens of Mumbai gains progressively.

Compiled by
D.D. Sable