Bhiwandi: Secrecy Over 9 Nominated Corporator Posts Sparks Row; RTI Seeks Applicant List, Eligibility Records

Bhiwandi: The selection of nine nominated corporators to the Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) has triggered a fresh political controversy with questions being raised over the secrecy surrounding the selection process. Despite the September 28 deadline for applications having passed, the civic administration has not made public the complete list of applicants or disclosed details of the scrutiny of their eligibility. With the names scheduled to be announced at the general body meeting on October 14, a demand for transparency has now reached the district administration, with an RTI application seeking official records related to the nominations.

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Congress Leader Seeks Transparency

Senior Congress leader and former chairman of the Maharashtra State Small Industries Development Corporation, Mohammed Tariq Farooqui, has written to Thane District Collector Dr Shrikrishna Panchal, seeking scrutiny of the applicants legal eligibility and disclosure of the records. He has also sought certified copies of nomination-related documents under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, arguing that transparency is essential to ensure the process is conducted in accordance with the rules.

Farooqui has sought the names of all applicants their political affiliations application registration numbers, nomination forms, affidavits and records relating to the scrutiny and acceptance or rejection of applications. He has stated that the documents are required for judicial purposes and may be produced as evidence before a court. His nephew, Maaz Farooqui, was also among those who applied for a nominated corporator’s post.

Civic body yet to disclose list

The continued non-disclosure of the applicants’ list has raised questions about the civic administration’s handling of the selection process. The Free Press Journal contacted Municipal Commissioner Anmol Sagar through WhatsApp and text messages, seeking an explanation for the delay and the administration’s response to allegations that the list was being withheld. However, no response had been received until the time of publication.

BNCMC Public Relations Officer Shrikant Pardeshi also confirmed that the complete list had not been released but could not clarify why it remained undisclosed.

Earlier reports put the total number of applications at 37, including applications received from individuals and organisations. The absence of an officially published consolidated list has made it difficult to independently verify the applicants’ details and the status of their nominations.

Party-wise quota and proposed names

The 90-member civic body has nine nominated corporator positions to be filled on the basis of the political parties’ representation. Congress is entitled to three seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to two, and the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), Samajwadi Party (SP), Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Konark Vikas Aghadi to one seat each.

According to the proposed list circulating ahead of the October 14 meeting, Congress nominees include Imran Ansari, Arafat Shaikh and Salim Shaikh. The BJP’s proposed names are Sugandha Tawre and Ravi Sawant, while Girish Mhatre has been proposed from the NCP (SP), Sanjay Kabukar from the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), Bharat Jaglani from the SP and Mayur Patil from the Konark Vikas Aghadi.

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However, the civic administration has not publicly released the complete applicant list or independently confirmed the proposed names. The list should therefore not be treated as the final official selection until it is formally announced.

SP’s official nominee sparks controversy

The sharpest political dispute has emerged within the Samajwadi Party, which is entitled to one nominated corporator’s post. Party state president MLA Abu Asim Azmi had declared Sarfaraz Shaikh the official candidate and issued a whip in his favour. However, allegations have surfaced that BNCMC SP group leader Areeb Shaikh agreed to the candidature of Bharat Jaglani, who is associated with the BJP.

SP Bhiwandi president Riyaz Azmi said action would be taken against the group leader for violating the party whip. The controversy has exposed a widening rift over the party’s choice for the nominated post and intensified scrutiny of the selection process.

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