Mumbai: Congress eyeing top posts in BMC

Uddhav Thackeray

After the change in the equation at the state government level, Congress - the opposition party in the BMC is eyeing key posts in the committees. Congress group leaders are hopeful that they will get the chairperson post of the Statutory committee and two out of the six special committees.

Congress group leader Ravi Raja who is now on the Opposition leader post said, "Congress will stake claim on Standing and Education committee chairperson's post and two special committees chairperson's posts. Even NCP should claim for one post. Congress with 44 MLAs and NCP with 54 together in alliance supported Sena (56 MLAs) to help Uddhav Thackeray become the CM. Now in BMC, we expect the same."

In BMC, Sena has the support of 94 corporators while Congress has 28 and NCP has 8 corporators. "The election of the four statutory committees (Standing, Education, Improvement and BEST) and six special committees (Works (City), Works (Suburbs), Public Health, Markets and Gardens, Law, Revenue and General Purposes, Women and Child Welfare) are held in April every year. If Congress demands posts immediately, the election can be held early," a BMC officer said.

"As per BMC act, the second-largest party should claim the Opposition leader post and it should be declared by the Mayor in the House. But BJP did not claim or deny the post in a written format even after three general body meetings. Later, they orally said they would not claim the post. Following this, Congress claimed it, said one of the officials from the municipal secretary department.

So now BJP can claim it at any time, but Manoj Kotak, BJP group leader has chosen to stay mum on the subject, the official added. Shiv Sena's corporators Kishori Pednekar and Suhas Wadkar were recently elected as BMC Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

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