Lines blur as nominated councillors side with Congress

In the 36-member House,there are 26 elected councillors,nine nominated councillors — who are nominated by virtue of being experts in their respective fields — and the local MP,who is an ex-officio member. With the nominated councillors having voting rights in the Mayoral elections,political parties make attempts to win them over to their side.

During the Mayoral elections this year,the nominated councillors en masse voted for the Congress candidates. The stand,in fact,was made clear after a process of “interviewing” the prospective candidates prior to the elections.

Most recently when voting was held on the agenda for cancellation of the construction of a day market at Mauli Jagran,it was the nominated councillors who voted in favour of the Congress which had mooted the agenda. The result was that the construction of the day market was scrapped even as the work was going on as the agenda had been approved by the previous lot of councillors.

The nominated councillors have also extended support to the Congress when a debate was held on whether the sanitation workers in the civic body be given uniforms or cash to get the uniforms stitched. The nominated councillors unanimously toed the line of the Congress. In the issue of imposing house tax as well,the nominated councillors could be seen supporting the Congress as discussions were being held.

Interestingly,even the Congress is seen supporting the nominated councillors. Recently,an agenda recommending that the nominated councillors should also be allocated ward development fund on the lines of those given to elected councillors was approved. While the final decision rests with the administration,the agenda was approved in the House. The Congress,during the last tenure of the Municipal Corporation,had rejected a similar proposal when it was mooted.

Controversies had engulfed the nomination of the current lot of councillors to the MC House when their names were released after the declaration of the results of the municipal elections. The BJP had alleged that people affiliated to the Congress were selected as the BJP-SAD alliance won one more seat than the Congress in the election.

Though their role is expected to be neutral,the nominated councillors have in the previous tenures also sided with political parties. However,generally a division was witnessed on party lines with some supporting the Congress and the others the BJP. In fact,before the end of the last tenure of MC,a number of nominated councillors had decided on the parties they would join.