Mumbai: Congress corporator tops in performance; 90% rank poor, as per Praja report card

Ahead of the race for India's richest civic body, NGO Praja on Friday, released its report card for Mumbai corporators' performance since 2017. As per Praja's report card, Congress corporator Ravi Kondu Raja ranked first getting 81.12% score, followed by Shiv Sena's Samadhan Sadanand Sarvankar (80.42%) and BJP's Harish Ravji Chheda (77.81%). Ranking worst are Congress' Nikita Dnyanraj Nikam (33.59%), BJP's Vidyarthi Balister Singh (33.82%) and NCP's Manisha Harishchandra Rahate (34.35%) - all getting the Fail grade. BMC goes to the polls in February 2022.

Congress corporator ranks top: Praja

Only 22 out of 220 councillors have been graded A and B (between 70-100%) by Praja with maximum councillors either scoring D grade (68) and E grade (59). The overall performance of all corporators has dropped to 55.1% in 2017-2021 as compared to 59% in 2012-2016. Councillors attendance also dropped from m 82% in 2017-18 to 74% in 2019-20, while 34% of the total questions asked (2907) was asked by mere 12 councillors. In the year F.Y 2020-21, 30 councillors asked Zero questions amid COVID spread, stated Praja, while Ms. Gulnaz Mo. Salim Qureshi (AIMIM) has not raised a single question for the F.Y. 2017-2021.

Praja has also stated that 219 out of 220 councillors have not prioritised citizens' complaints in thier deliberations - 1 councillor D grade, 35 councillors getting E grade and 185 councillors getting the fail grade. On a party-wise, the main Opposition - Congress has scores 57.21% with a mere 28 councillors, followed by the ruling Shiv Sena scoring 55.8% with 92 councillors. BJP, on the other hand, ranks fourth (55.01%) with 81 councillors. Praja ranks councillors based on education, criminal cases, attendance, questions raised, FIR filed and pending chargesheets.

BMC Mayoral elections

In November 2019, Sena won both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor polls in Mumbai Mayor polls, retaining control over Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Shiv Sena's Kishori Pednekar and Suhas Wadkar won the Mayor and Deputy Mayor post after BJP's Ashish Shelar bowed out of the race. Shiv Sena, which has controlled the BMC since 1985, eyes to retain it by jointly contesting with NCP and Congress against BJP, but Congress seeks to strike out solo. Currently, Shiv Sena has 84 seats, BJP had 82 seats, NCP has 6 corporators and Congress has 30 corporators. Prior to separating at the civic level, the saffron allies fell out with the  Sena insisting on an equal sharing of CM post for 2.5 years and portfolios, which was refused by BJP, leading to the formation of the Sena-NCP-Congress government.