Ordinance Summary

• The Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Temporary Postponement of Elections (of the Mayors and Deputy Mayors of certain Municipal Corporations due to spread of pandemic Corona Covid Virus in the State) Ordinance, 2020 was promulgated on May 2, 2020.  The Ordinance provides for temporary postponement of elections of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of certain Municipal Corporations on account of COVID-19.  The Ordinance came into force on April 27, 2020.  Key features include:
   
• Postponement of elections: The Ordinance postpones the elections of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of certain Municipal Corporations for three months.  However, it allows the state government to notify an earlier date for the elections, on which the Ordinance will expire.
   
• Exception: The Ordinance is not applicable to the election of the Mayor or Deputy Mayor of those Municipal Corporations, which are to be conducted immediately after the general election of those Corporations.
   
• Powers and duties: The Ordinance provides that the Mayors and Deputy Mayors whose term has been extended will continue to exercise the powers, functions, and duties of the Office.  
   
• Tenure: The present Mayors and Deputy Mayors will continue to hold office until the new Mayors or Deputy Mayors are elected.  It also specifies that the term of such newly elected Mayors and Deputy Mayors will end with the expiry of the term of the elected Councillors.

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