Fighting to fight BMC elections

FIGHT FOR RIGHT: The nominations of many independent candidates have been rejected for no reason.

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Mumbai: Walking to the local election office in Bandra has become part of the daily routine for Fatima Mary and her husband ever since she decided to contest as an independent candidate in the Brihan Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.

She goes there everyday for the simple reason that she has been fighting for her right to contest after her nomination was rejected by the returning officer.

"They said my name is not there on the list," says she.

However, the irony is that Fatima had all the required documents including the election ID card. She even traced her name on the list, but it was past the deadline.

Ever since then she has been relentlessly coming everyday only to get the same answer by the Election Duty Officer, "We have no comments."

Fatima is not the only candidate who's complaining.

Independent candidate Avinash Khot, Ward No 93, says, "Candidates from parties fill up four forms then then come with fifty people, and we independents are kept waiting for hours because we have no clout and they have all the power."

Adds another independent candidate, Bharat Bafna, BMC Ward 93, "On the day of the nomination someone tore up my nomination sheet."

While some of the others were lucky, Fatima is still waiting to get her name on the list of candidates.

Have independent candidates like Fatima Mary been disqualified because of lapses on their part or has the system actively conspired against them?

The truth possibly lies somewhere in between, but the fact of the matter is that in its current form our election process continues to intimidate the common man - an issue that needs to be addressed.