Despite brewing resentment, Cong takes to ‘ballot paper poll’ to elect new Opp leaders

Party members, however, questioned the Congress’s new decision to elect the Opposition leaders in civic and local bodies by elected corporators through ballot paper voting. Earlier, a committee would be appointed to select the Opposition leaders after which observers interview the candidates.

The new process has been questioned, especially since the party’s numbers are low in most civic bodies.

GPCC leader Narendra Ravat submitted a representation to the Congress stating that the new process would be “detrimental” to the party’s interests. “We opposed the same because we have only seven corporators in the VMC. Three corporators had already opposed this idea stating that it was not in the interest of the party if such an election was held as it allows a leader with access to funds to offer financial incentives to others… It can create discord within the party. Instead, a committee should decide on the new leader and the decision would be final. We had requested the party that we would like to stay out of it,” he stated.

Party leaders added that prior to Monday’s election Ami Ravat, the outgoing Opposition leader of the VMC, had written to the party high command, opposing the election and seeking that the committee be appointed to select the new leader for the “small strength” of corporators. Ami Ravat is said to have had the support of three other corporators, who had signed the letter.

However, on Monday, the six other corporators — Chandrakant Shrivastava, Pushpa Waghela, Jaha Desai, Harish Patel, Alka Patel and Balu Surve — participated in the election process while Ami Ravat abstained from voting in protest.

On the resentment within the party, GPCC spokesperson Manish Doshi told The Indian Express, “Election is a process of internal democracy… It is a new idea within the party that will give the leaders a chance to elect their leaders and also to contest for the posts. If you have a majority on your side, you can become the leader and the second person on the tally will be the deputy.”

He added that it is an “innovation for the larger good of the party conceived by our party president”. “It is not right to make comments and judge the process in such a premature state… Even the Rajkot civic body, which has only four corporators, will see the elections being held tomorrow (Wednesday). We are trying to bring about a change and it is natural that we meet some resistance initially,” Doshi said.