The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has launched a major drive against unauthorized political publicity, removing a total of 444 advertisements across the city within just two days. This crackdown commenced immediately after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) became effective for the upcoming January 15 civic body elections.
Breakdown of the Clean-Up Operation
The civic body's action targeted advertisements placed on both government and public properties, revealing widespread misuse. From government properties, 107 advertisements were removed, while a much larger haul of 317 items were taken down from public spaces. This significant disparity highlights the extensive use of public property for political campaigning.
The nature of the removed materials shows a clear pattern. Simple wall writings constituted only a minor part of the violations. The overwhelming majority consisted of posters, cut-outs, hoardings, banners, and flags. Specifically, on government premises, the NMC removed 38 political ads, which included six wall writings, 16 posters, and 16 combined cut-outs, hoardings, and banners.
Public Property Bears the Brunt of Violations
Enforcement on public property was far more extensive. Here, officials cleared 17 wall writings, 116 posters, and a substantial 184 cut-outs, hoardings, and banners. In contrast, action on private property remained minimal, with only 20 removals recorded. This included just two posters and 18 banners and flags, indicating a continued reluctance to tackle political displays on private land.
Zone-Wise Performance and Allegations of Inconsistency
The drive was not uniformly implemented across the city's zones. The Hanuman Nagar zone reported the highest number of removals at 114, followed by Gandhibagh zone with 91 and Laxminagar zone with 56. Dhantoli zone, which initially showed negligible action, has now reported 12 removals.
Despite these figures, sources within the civic body have raised concerns about inconsistent and selective enforcement. Internal reports have flagged zones including Dhantoli, Hanuman Nagar, Nehru Nagar, Lakadganj, and Gandhibagh for not taking the Bombay High Court's directives seriously enough. The Nagpur bench of the High Court has repeatedly instructed civic authorities to ensure a time-bound and uniform removal of all unauthorized political advertisements, especially during election periods.
Ground Reality Versus Official Numbers
A senior official pointed out a worrying gap between the reported action and the situation on the ground. "While the figures look impressive on paper, many posters and banners are still intact at busy junctions, internal roads, and near public offices," the official said. The official also noted that in some instances, fresh banners appeared overnight even after the MCC was announced, pointing to weak monitoring and a lack of sustained follow-up mechanisms.
With political campaigning expected to intensify in the lead-up to the January 15 polls, this enforcement gap raises serious questions about the credibility of MCC implementation. Observers stress that unless the NMC ensures uniform action across all zones, adopts strict measures against repeat offenders, and addresses the misuse of private property, political advertising will continue to dominate Nagpur's public spaces in clear violation of election norms.
