Mumbai: Following weeks of legal and political uncertainty, the elections to the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) were held on Sunday. This could be the last such election in the state, as the government has proposed appointing members through nomination instead of elections.
There were 60 candidates contesting for nine seats across four panels. The overall voter turnout in the state was 13.9%. In Mumbai city, 8,590 doctors were eligible to vote at JJ Hospital, with nearly 8% casting their ballots. In the suburbs, 7.3% of 16,668 doctors voted at the Santacruz polling booth. The results will be announced on Wednesday.
Confusion and Rival Factions
Leading up to the elections, the medical community faced significant confusion. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) split into two rival factions: the 'Official IMA MMC Panel,' supported by the BJP-affiliated Vaidkiya Aghadi, and the 'IMA Members MMC Panel,' backed by 14 former presidents and senior members. There was also uncertainty whether the polls would be held, as the state government had approached the Supreme Court to scrap the elections, but the plea was rejected.
Political Involvement
On Sunday, minister Ashish Shelar was seen at the Santacruz booth supporting the BJP-backed IMA panel. He said, "MMC elections are very important for the medical community. We have a lot of friends in the medical community in Mumbai, many of whom stood for the elections. We are supporting this panel to end all disputes." Dr Shivkumar Utture, a former MMC president, noted that local politicians were observed at polling stations in other parts of Maharashtra as well.
