4 zones will see prabhag shuffle ahead of zonal chairperson polls | Nagpur News

Nagpur: Four zones of Nagpur Municipal Corporation will see shifting of prabhags after the ruling BJP cleared a proposal to realign ward allocations ahead of the zonal chairperson elections. As per the new arrangement, Dharampeth zone will now have three prabhags instead of four earlier, while Satranjipura zone will gain one additional prabhag. The reshuffle will also affect Mangalwari and Ashi Nagar zones, altering the political strength of parties just weeks before the crucial zonal polls.According to the proposal approved in the general body meeting, prabhag 12 will be shifted from Dharampeth zone to Mangalwari zone. Likewise, prabhag 9 from Mangalwari will be moved to Ashi Nagar zone, while prabhag 6 from Ashi Nagar will be shifted to Satranjipura zone. Though projected as an administrative exercise, the move is being seen as politically significant ahead of the zonal chairperson elections scheduled next month.Dharampeth, one of the strongest zones for the BJP, will lose one prabhag, but the ruling party is still expected to retain a comfortable majority there. The biggest political impact will be felt in the Mangalwari zone, where the shifting of prabhag 9 is likely to weaken the Congress. With four Congress corporators expected to move out of the zone, the party’s strength will drop sharply, while the addition of a BJP-dominated prabhag from Dharampeth is expected to strengthen the ruling party’s position.The reshuffle will also significantly affect Ashi Nagar, where smaller parties and minority-backed groups were hoping to stake claim to the zonal chairperson post. With corporators from different prabhags being shifted in and out, the political balance in the zone is set to change, reducing the chances of smaller alliances that emerged as strong contenders.The move has also dealt a setback to the AIMIM and IUML, which registered a joint front as the Muslim Bahujan Vikas Aghadi. With six corporators from AIMIM and four from IUML, the alliance was seen as a strong contender in the Ashi Nagar zone. With seven corporators already belonging to the zone and the possibility of support from the lone BSP corporator, the alliance had a realistic chance of claiming the zonal chairperson post. However, the new prabhag rejig has now changed the political arithmetic and is expected to weaken their chances significantly.Leader of opposition Sanjay Mahakalkar criticised the decision and alleged that the ruling BJP was using its majority in the NMC House to redraw the zonal structure in its favour. He said the party already enjoys a comfortable majority in the 151-member House and does not need to resort to such political moves. According to him, the shifting of prabhags was clearly aimed at weakening the Congress and smaller opposition groups ahead of the zonal elections.Ruling party leader Narendra Borkar defended the proposal and said the changes were purely administrative and carried out as per rules. He said the new prabhag allocation would help streamline the functioning of zonal offices and improve coordination in civic works. Borkar also expressed confidence that the BJP would now have a clear majority in most zones and would retain control of the zonal chairperson posts.Existing zones with prabhags—new zones with prabhagsLaxmi Nagar—16, 36, 37 & 38—No changeDharampeth—12, 13, 14 & 15—13, 14 & 15Hanuman Nagar—29, 31, 32 and 34—No changeDhantoli—17, 33 & 35—No changeNehru Nagar—26, 27, 28 & 30—No changeGandhibagh—8, 18, 19 & 22—No changeSatranjipura—5, 20 & 21—5, 6, 20 & 21Lakadganj—4, 23, 24 & 25—No changeAshi Nagar—2, 3, 6 & 7—2, 3, 7 & 9Mangalwari—1, 9, 10 & 11—1, 10, 11 & 12