Seven municipal councils in Yavatmal reserved for women

YAVATMAL: In a forward push for women power, Yavatmal seems to have scored big for the next five years as seven out of ten municipal councils across the district has been reserved for women. Out of the 10, eight councils are scheduled for election in November-December this year and the remaining two will go to polls when their current tenure is over.
Yavatmal has 10 MCs, namely Yavatmal, Pusad, Wani, Darwha, Pandharkawda, Digras, Umarkhed, Ghatanji, Ner and Arni respectively. Barring Pandharkawda and Ner, the remaining eight MCs will go to polls this year.
The chairpersons of these councils are to be elected directly by the voters as against the current norm of electing from the elected ward members.
The following is the reservation of seats-Yavatmal (Woman-Open), Pusad ( Woman-OBC), Digras (Woman-open), Ghatanji (Woman-Open), Ner (Woman-Open), Pandharkawda (Woman-open), Arni (Woman-ST), Umarkhed (SC), Darwha (SC) and Wani (open).
The reservation has deprived many sitting members from contesting the election. In Babhulgaon tehsil, the two seats, Gharfal-Veni and Pahur-Sawar, have now been reserved for ST women while Matharjun-Kosara and Patten-Mukutben in Zari are now reserved for women from the general category. However, in Wani and Maregaon the seats have been all reserved for men.
In Yavatmal ghat, three seats have already been curtailed owing to the merger of gram panchayats with the municipality. Among the remaining four seats, two have been reserved for women.
Outgoing vice president Balasaheb Mangulkar, former presidents Rahul Thakre, Praful Mankar and Pravin Deshmukh, outgoing chairman Subhash Thokal and member Chitarnajan Kolhe will have to look for a fresh seat if they want to return to the Zilla Parishad.