The low voter turnout in the Maharashtra civic polls, especially in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, underscored the fact that local residents are simply indifferent to the way in which their cities are managed. If people want their cities to become better living spaces then it’s clear that they will have to participate in the election process on a much larger scale and ensure the implementation of reforms that will improve administration considerably. Electing mayors directly and giving them administrative powers may be one solution, but it’s doubtful if the exercise would be fruitful given the poor people’s participation.
Narendra M Apte, Pune
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