PUNE, March 26: Even as the Pune Vikas Aghadi-Shiv Sena-BJP combine today failed to arrive at a consensus candidate for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) standing committee chairmanship, it ensured that the coveted civic post will not go to Congress-RPI alliance.With the election to the post being referred to the civic general body, the Congress-RPI hopes to wrest the seat have been dashed to the ground.The committee chairmanship elections were postponed for the third consecutive time today. Municipal secretary Hanmant Chavan ruled that the committee has failed to elect its chairman and hence the election should now be referred to the civic general body.The Congress-RPI alliance has eight members in the 16-member committee and was hell bent on conducting the elections today. However, in a calculated move, PVA leader Chandrakant Chhajed asked his members to demand postponement of the election process.According to the BPMC Act, the committee is required to elect its chairman within 30 days of itsformation. The committee was formed on March 1 and hence it was necessary for its chairman to be elected on or before March 30.The Congress-RPI demanded that the elections be held on March 30. A resolution to this effect was put to a vote. However, the resolution could not be approved as there was a tie. The PVA-BJP-SS also has eight members in the committee.
