Councillors on war path

With just two posts of the standing committee chairman and leader of the house left to be filled, hectic lobbying is on in the civic corridors. The Saurashtrian lobby, numbering around 25 councillors, is leaving no stone unturned to capture at least the post of the standing committee chairman. Former deputy mayor Dr Kishor Lakhani is said to be front-runner for the coveted post.

Over the last three years, it had become a tradition to appoint a Saurashtrian as a deputy mayor. However, this time round they were rudely jolted when a non-Saurashtrian was elected as deputy mayor. But they have not lost hope. 8220;We have conveyed our sentiments to the party high command. We hope that Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel will not let us down8221;, a Saurashtrian councillor told Express Newsline.

The SC/ST councillors, too, are hopeful that the party will not overlook their demands. 8220;We have been neglected for the last three years. But this time one of us should be elected as a standing committee chairman or leader of house.8221; an SC councillor said.

With civic polls less than 20 months away, the BJP must do something to show that it cares for us, he said, pointing out, that so far the party had little to boost of as far as SC/ST councillors were concerned.

8220;In fact, the Congress appointed the mayor and the standing committee chairman from SC/ST, even without reservation, while the BJP neglected us even though many of us are competent for the posts,8221; Ramanbhai Parmar says.

Of the 11 SC/ST councillors, only two councillors 8212; Parmar and Naveen Vaghela are holding posts. While Parmar is a member of the standing committee, Vaghela currently heads the PDW committee.

When contacted, City president of BJP Praveenbhai Naik said the issue would be resolved at the co-ordination committee meeting.

However, SC/ST councillors feel that their demand is too important to be overlooked. 8220;The party cannot afford to neglect us which it has been doing for the last three years,8221; they allege. They caution that if their candidates are not selected for the posts, the Congress could take indirect advantage at the hustings, exposing the BJP8217;s 8220;anti-SC/ST face8221;.

The SC/ST Front president Bhupendra Ravataka says the party should spell out its SC/ST policy. So far the BJP has no such policy, he says, claiming that there are a number of SC/ST candidates who are capable.

The Front at its meeting held recently adopted a resolution asking the party to honour the sentiments of SC/ST councillors. The copy of the resolutions have been sent to the chief minister, state BJP president Rajendrasinh Rana, SC president Rati Ram Verma, MP and state minister Fakirbhai Vaghela.