Mumbai: Mumbaikars may be interested in knowing that 44 of the city’s new corporators have criminal cases against them, 120 have not studied beyond H.S.C., and 38 have not even passed their S.S.C. exam. These numbers reveal that of the 227, 19.5 per cent new corporators have criminal records, 38 per cent are S.S.C. fail and 18 per cent have managed to study only till H.S.C. However, there is a silver lining too. The most educated corporator is a woman, Anuradha Potdar from south Mumbai, who has a Ph.D. Further, 64 corporators or 28 per cent are graduates whereas 12 corporators or 5.3 per cent are post graduates.
Of the 44 corporators with criminal cases against them, 23 belong to Shiv Sena, 12 to BJP, 3 to MNS, 2 to Congress, 2 are independent, and one belongs to AIMIM and SP each. Criminal cases against these corporators are mostly in the nature of preventing government officials from performing their duty, extortion, unlawful assembly of five or more people, forgery, and criminal intimidation.
Speaking of educational qualifications, 38 corporators have studied only till standard 9th, 48 have passed S.S.C., 42 have passed H.S.C, 64 are graduates, and 12 have professional degrees. Those without professional degrees have mostly listed their profession as business.
Parag Shah from BJP, who is a builder by profession, remains the richest corporator with assets worth Rs 690 crores, whereas Rupali Awale, from Sena has declared assets worth Rs 15,000 only. Meanwhile, 91 corporators have contested civic elections before while 136 are first-timers.
Data from the affidavits also reveals that exactly 14 candidates are within 30 years of age whereas 14 corporators are senior citizens, with one corporator being 71 years old.
