AHMEDABAD: The Congress party in the Ahmedabad district panchayat was again reduced to a minority, as three members were absent for the budget meeting. In the 34-member district panchayat, 14 Congress members voted for the budget for financial year 2017-18, while 15 voted against it.
After elections to the 34-member house, the Congress had 18 members and the BJP 16. One member each party were suspended for violating the panchayat election rules.
Sources in the panchayat said three Congress members did not turn up for the district panchayat meeting as they were unhappy with a party decision and wanted to be heard. The Congress party, which has a simple majority, was thus reduced to a minority with only 14 members voting.
Office bearers of the Congress who declined to be named, said this was second straight year that the Congress failed to pass the budget in the first meeting. In 2016, the budget for financial year 2016-17 was cleared in the third meeting.
Officials said the BJP has been working hard snatch control of the panchayat ever since it lost it in the December 2015 election. Sources said that Congress leaders had held a dinner meeting late on Thursday night but the three members, Jagdish Moria, Kailash Patel and Daxaben Patel, remained absent on Friday.
Sources in the Congress said that Kailashben is related to Sanand MLA Karamsi Patel, while Daxaben is relatived to Viramgam MLA Tejashree Patel. Officials in the party said the panchayat has two more chances to clear the budget. The next attempt to pass the budget will be made on March 31. The party high command is likely to contact the two MLAs and work out a compromise.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com