12 SMC councillors who switched from AAP to BJP suspended by mayor for a day

At the General Board meeting, the focus was on the agenda during the past Standing Committee meetings. When a discussion was carried out on the issue of drainage facilities, some of the councillors who switched from the AAP to the BJP, and a few BJP councillors were blamed for triggering a disturbance. Mayor Boghawala repeatedly told them to remain silent but they did not follow the instructions. She ended up suspending all leaders.

“We suspended 12 AAP councillors as they have violated the Mayor’s instruction regularly during today’s meeting. They were creating a disturbance at the meeting by carrying talking about matters which were out of the agenda. I reminded them several times. The General Board meeting started at 4 pm today and at 5, they triggered disturbances and did not participate in the discussion of agenda-related works. The meeting ended at 6,” Boghawala told The Indian Express.

Dharmesh Bhanderi, Leader of the opposition in SMC, alleged a conspiracy by the BJP to avoid the disqualification of the members for jumping the ship.

“Our party whip, Shobnaben Kevadiya, a few days ago issued a whip to all elected councillors of the AAP, and those who had switched over to BJP, to remain present at the General Board meeting to be held on Monday afternoon. It was also mentioned they have to vote in favour of the AAP proposal in relation to the correction of different agenda works proposed in the General Board meeting. Our proposal was that SMC should withdraw a yearly rise of 10 per cent in the drainage charges collected by the SMC from people and also legalise those illegal drainage connections in the city. We have also proposed that SMC should go ahead with last year’s charges,” Bhanderi told The Indian Express.