Nagpur: As many as 15 independent corporators belonging to small parties want their berths in the committee of Nagpur Vikas Aghadi, as was earlier agreed upon. But, the BJP is unable to accommodate them as per commitment, all due to ongoing lobby and appeasement policy in favour of certain party leaders. The BJP forgets that such a neglect towards the independents might prove very costly during the elections to Maharashtra Legislative Council, due in the month of coming December. The independents are said to be getting prepared for the same.
It should not be forgotten that in case a candidate for MLC gets defeated or somehow wins after great struggle, in both the cases the BJP’s image would be affected, for the claim on firefighting committee in NMC is considered to be vital. The last date of nominations to be fled for chairman and vice chairman of ten committees is July 9 while the voting is on July 10. Who will stay in the ring and who will be out will become clear on Thursday (July 9).
The BJP’s defeat in the Zilla Parishad elections of Gondia and Bhandara has taken away the sleep of BJP leaders. Upon this, it will not be good for BJP if there takes place a tug-of-war between the independents and the BJP over an ordinary issue of election to firefighting committee of NMC. It is because this tussle may reflect on the MLC elections in December.
However, certain BJP senior office-bearers claim that the defeat faced by the party at Gondia-Bhandara Zilla Parishad elections is due to ‘sycophancy’, for competent and hard-working candidates were ignored by the party leaders. This sort of dissent in the party-workers as well as many BJP-corporators is witnessed within the NMC. The BJP lobbying was there in cases of allotment of committees. In the metro-region election the dissent has come to the fore, that is why three BJP candidates faced defeat in the metro-region election.
Leave aside firefighting committee, an announcement has almost been made that only BJP candidates will be appointed on all other committees in the NMC. This BJP lobbying by a handful of leaders of Nagpur Vikas Aghadi is proving a headache for many corporators in the NMC. All senior leaders remain engaged in their frequent trips to Delhi and Mumbai and no one hears the problems faced by other BJP corporators. As some of the BJP office-bearers are sailing in ego, the dissidents are growing. Moreover, the public is fed up of undeclared tax-burden on them.
– RAJEEV RANJAN KUSHWAHA(rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com)
