Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'PCMC will have its first elections on May 24' that was published in Newsband

PCMC will have its first elections on May 24

The maiden elections for the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will be held on May 24 after it came into existence in October last year.

Major parties such as BJP, Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP are all set for the civic polls. BJP leaders are in no mood to relax after its landslide triumph in BMC elections 2017 and Congress are campaigning hard to win PCMC elections 2017.

The PCMC has 20 wards in which they have 78 corporators. BJP is contesting from 75 seats with its alliance RPI (A) in two seats and PRP in one. Similarly, Congress is contesting 18 seats and its alliance PWP is contesting 48 seats, and NCP 12 seats. The Shiv Sena is contesting 68 seats, while its partner Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghthana is contesting 5 seats.

It’s just few days left for the Panvel civic polls and the high voltage drama has started in 78 wards across Panvel old city including Kharghar, Kamothe, Kalmboli, New Panvel, Taloja and 29 adjoining villages and many places under the civic body. The campaigning of all major political parties in the Panvel civic polls has reached its peak. The political parties are offering free fuel, biryani, snacks, cold drinks and even alcohol, besides a decent daily allowance for the campaigning.

As far as Panvel City Municipal Corporation Elections 2017 is concerned, even the students are joining poll rallies. Around 20,000 youths have been temporarily recruited by the candidates to support voters. This is the chance for the college students, to earn some extra pocket money during summer vacation. This is a golden opportunity for unemployed to earn anything between Rs 300 and 800 daily apart from the petrol expenditure of Rs 200.

In the first-ever election to the Panvel Municipal Corporation, more than a third of the city’s candidates are crorepatis. Of the 418 candidates contesting Panvel's maiden civic election this year, as many as 160 are crorepatis. Many of the candidates had humble beginnings, but as the city progressed, so did they and their business ventures in construction, real estate and other sectors.

Money power will count considerably, as this is only the first election here, and citizens don't know much about the candidates. Many politicians will use their clout and money to garner recognition among voters. With the Panvel airport soon to be ready, property prices and the local economy is also expected to boom, making the PMC an even more lucrative prospect.

People should choose their corporators on the basis of the work he has done in the past, and what he is capable of doing in the future. Even if the candidates are crorepatis, we should only elect them if they are good at work. A developing city like Panvel needs many facilities to be built. This is what the funds should be used for instead of filling their own pockets, which is what usually happens.