The tenure of the present Standing Committee is in the last stage with the completion of one year period. The tradition has that eight members would cease to be members of the Committee in accordance with rules specifically those members who have completed two terms.However, the path the to Standing Committee is not an easy one. The atmosphere has started getting hotter and hotter.
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Nagpur News.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is witnessing an altogether different picture, though usual in the month of January. All Corporators are in “Standing position” and ready to “run in the race” for a place in the prestigious Standing Committee.
The tenure of the present Standing Committee is in the last stage with the completion of one year period. The tradition has that eight members would cease to be members of the Committee in accordance with rules specifically those members who have completed two terms.
However, the path the to Standing Committee is not an easy one. The atmosphere has started getting hotter and hotter. The Standing Committee has to send the names of those members who will cease to be members to the NMC’s House of General Body Meeting at the end of January. The process has begun and with that, intense discussions, too, have started taking more and more rounds among the Ruling Party and Opposition Corporators as well.
According to NMC Act, a Corporator of the 16-member Standing Committee could not be the member for more than two years. Similarly, according to rules, every year, eight old members are removed from the Committee and eight new members take their places. It is also necessary to finalize the proposal on the names of eight retiring members at the General Body Meeting to be held in the last week of January. However, the tenure of those eight members of the Standing Committee is ending in March. The Corporators, who will cease to be members of the Committee include: Purushottam Hazare, Bhavna Lonare, Rahul Telang, Meena Chaudhary, Mayatai Ivnate, Devendra Meher, Amanullah Khan and Seema Raut.
It may be recalled, the major partner of Ruling Party, the BJP, in order to accommodate top leaders of the party in the Standing Committee, had asked all the members of the Committee to hand over their resignations last year. And this year, too, the party, it appears, is in the mood to repeat the exercise looking to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. However, the Congress Corporator Purushottam Hazare, a close aide of BJP Corporator Anil Dhawde, who is also supporter of former minister Satish Chaturvedi. Many top Congress leaders had tried to force Hazare resign from the Committee but failed. This year, Hazare would cease to be member after completion of two-year tenure.
On the other hand, the race for chairmanship of the Standing Committee among BJP leaders would witness a close one. The BJP will saddle the man as Chairman of the Standing Committee who would be able to bring the LBT hit NMC on the perfect financial track with the help of old and new revenue sources. And party sees the present Chairman Avinash Thakre as that man. The NMC Administration will also be on the edge if Thakre has been retained as chief of the Standing Committee and could put BJP in win-win position in the times of difficulties.
However, the bigwig BJP leader Nitin Gadkari, who is likely to be party candidate for Nagpur Lok Sabha seat, holds the all important key to the doors of the Standing Committee. And his man of choice will certainly get the coveted post.
