Journalism of Courage
Senior NCP corporator Jagdish Shetty was on Saturday elected the standing committee chairman of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). He was elected unopposed after the other contendor,Navnath Jagtap,brother of MLA Laxman Jagtap,withdrew from the race.
Soon after his election was announced,Shetty supporters burst crackers,smeared gulal and distributed sweets. A four-time corporator from Akurdi-Kalbhornagar area,Shetty had served as the NCPs House leader in the outgoing PCMC house.
Shettys election was a high drama affair. Till 10 minutes before the chairmans election,NCP corporators on the 16-member standing committee did know whom to vote for. NCP has 12 members on the panel while Shiv Sena and Congress have two each.
The NCP is divided in different camps in the PCMC including the ones belonging to its local unit president Azam Pansare,MLA Laxman Jagtap and MLA Vilas Lande. Shetty belongs to the Pansare camp. Jagtap,who is considered close to Ajit Pawar,also left no stone unturned to get his cousin,Navnath Jagtap,elected to the post. However,NCP House leader Mangala Kadam received phone call from Ajit Pawar just 10 minutes before the election,issuing a whip that panel members should only vote for Shetty. This forced Jagtap to withdraw from the race. According to NCP leaders,Ajit Pawar had pacified Laxman Jagtap by promising the post next year.
Talking to mediapersons,Pansare said Shetty got the nod from Ajit Pawar because he is the senior most corporator in the party. It is being made out that there was bitter dispute among various groups in the NCP,but there was no quarrel over the post. Mayor Mohini Lande,who felicitated Shetty,said,We should take everyone along. Deputy Mayor Raju Misal,Congress leader Bhausaheb Bhoir and Opposition leader Kailas Kadam congratulated Shetty.
After the elections,the first task before the standing committee would be to pass the civic budget which has got delayed due to the elections. After the civic elections,the state government had issued directives that the outgoing standing committee should not approve the budget. The Asheesh Sharma-led civic administration had to invoke special powers to implement the budget from April 1. Officials said the Sharma will present the budget next week to the standing committee after which it would be passed.
