Four from Pune, one from Pimpri-Chinchwad can perform as both corporators and legislators

Five newly-elected MLAs — four from the Pune Municipal Corporation area and one from Pimpri-Chinchwad area — have got an opportunity to play a double role in real-life political flicks. The five MLAs who are already serving as corporators can attend, debate, discuss and raise a point or two in State Legislative Assembly meetings as well as civic general body meetings. Only problem is that if the Assembly and civic meetings fall on the same day, they will have to sacrifice one of them.

The double opportunity comes with the new directives issued by the State Election Commission last month. According to PCMC assistant municipal commissioner Sudhakar Deshmukh, the EC directive states that corporators who have been elected as MLAs should be allowed to complete their terms at the civic meetings. “This means, the newly-elected MLAs can attend civic general body meetings and the State Legislative Assembly meetings where they can take part in the discussions and raise issues pertaining to their areas,” he said. Deshmukh said the rule applies to corporators who have become MLAs and not the otherway.

In the past, corporators who had become legislators had promptly resigned their civic membership after getting “promotions.” Among them include newly-elected MLAs Vilas Lande and Laxman Jagtap. “Now the new legislators don’t have to resign, they can continue in both the posts,” Deshmukh said.

Of the five corporators, four of them — Chandrakant Mokate from Kothrud assembly constituency, Madhav Babar from Hadapsar constituency, Madhuri Misal from Parvati and Bapu Pathare from Wadgaonsheri constituency — are members of the Pune Municipal Corporation. Anna Bansode, who was elected from Pimpri assembly constituency reserved for Scheduled Caste, is a corporator of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

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