Assets of 1700 candidates have seen a massive increase in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. Former Mayor Shraddha Jadhav’s assets have reached 46 crore rupees, while the assets of other major candidates have also multiplied several times. According to the Election Commission’s affidavits, the assets include houses, flats, commercial properties, bank deposits, and investments.
The assets of many former mayors and corporators contesting in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections have seen a massive surge in the past few years. Affidavits uploaded by the State Election Commission reveal that the movable and immovable assets of many candidates have increased two to fivefold. A total of 1,700 candidates are in the electoral fray for 227 wards, and most of these former councilors have become crorepatis.
According to Election Commission rules, candidates are required to provide complete details in their affidavits of their own, their spouse’s, and dependents’ movable and immovable assets, bank deposits, shares, jewelry, and loans. These affidavits show that the assets of many leaders have increased significantly in the form of houses, flats, commercial properties, plots, bank deposits, and investments. Some councilors have cited business, farming, rent, or salary as their source of income, but such a rapid increase has become a matter of curiosity for voters.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the civic body governing Mumbai, India. Established in 1888, it is one of the world’s largest municipal corporations and was formed to administer the growing city following the merging of its island settlements. It is responsible for the city’s infrastructure, public health, and civic services from its iconic headquarters, the BMC Building, a Grade IIA heritage structure completed in 1893.
Election Commission
The Election Commission is a governmental body responsible for overseeing and administering democratic elections within a country, ensuring they are free and fair. Its history is tied to the development of modern representative democracy, with many nations establishing independent commissions in the 20th century to manage electoral rolls, enforce rules, and certify results. For example, India’s Election Commission was formed in 1950, just after independence, to uphold the integrity of its large-scale democratic process.
State Election Commission
The State Election Commission is an independent constitutional body in India responsible for administering and supervising elections at the state level, including for local urban and rural bodies. It was established under the provisions of the Constitution (Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth Amendments) Act, 1992, which mandated the creation of such commissions to decentralize and strengthen the democratic process. Its primary function is to ensure free, fair, and impartial elections within its respective state.
