Mumbai: A controversy has erupted ahead of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections after Pushpa Waghmare, a mother of four, was allowed to contest despite a long-standing Maharashtra law that bars candidates with more than two children from contesting civic elections.
Under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships (Second Amendment) Act, 1995, individuals with more than two children are disqualified from contesting local body elections. Despite this, Waghmare’s nomination was accepted, triggering questions over scrutiny lapses.
Polling for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, is scheduled for January 15, with counting on January 16. The Nagpur civic polls carry added political weight as the city is the hometown of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Until the 2017 elections, the BJP had controlled the Nagpur civic body for three consecutive terms.
Candidate defends her nomination
Waghmare is contesting from Ward 36 in South-West Nagpur on a Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) ticket. As criticism around her candidature grew, she said she was unaware of the two-child norm.
“I have only passed the twelfth grade and this is my first election. There was no reason for me to know the rules. Had I known that a mother of more than two children cannot contest Mahanagarpalika elections, I would not have applied,” she told NDTV.
She further asserted that the responsibility lay with election officials.
“They accepted my nomination, and that is not my fault. I am not going to suffer for a mistake that isn’t mine; I am staying in the fray, come what may,” she said.
When asked about possible legal challenges if she wins, Waghmare added, “Please ask the official who accepted my nomination. If an official accepted my form, I should not be made to suffer needlessly.”
Grassroots appeal and local issues
A small-scale catering entrepreneur and social worker, Waghmare enjoys strong support among local women. Her ward is frequently affected by drainage problems and flooding during heavy rains, issues she says have been ignored by previous elected representatives.
“My people need me. Whoever we elected earlier did not return to solve our problems,” she said before heading out on another padyatra as part of her campaign.
Election officials seek report
Dr Abhijit Chaudhari, Election Officer for the Nagpur civic polls, confirmed that the Returning Officer has been asked to submit a factual report on how the nomination was accepted.
“From an administrative point of view, the Returning Officer’s decision is final. Any appeal against it can only be made in a court of law. We cannot change the decision at our level,” Chaudhari said.
He acknowledged the possibility of procedural lapses, citing the heavy rush on the final day of nominations and the absence of a gap before scrutiny began.
“The exact reasons will become clear once the report is submitted,” he added.
Poll numbers at a glance
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections will be held for 151 seats across 38 Prabhags. During scrutiny, 80 nomination forms were rejected, leaving 1,294 candidates initially. After the withdrawal period, 993 candidates remain in the fray.
The outcome of the report — and any subsequent legal challenge — could determine whether Waghmare’s candidature stands or becomes a test case for enforcement of the two-child norm in Maharashtra’s civic elections.