Patel, previously a Congress member, was even taunted as a 'Congress-favouring mayor' by the chairman of the standing committee
Gandhinagar mayor Pravin Patel faced an embarrassment on Friday when none of his colleagues, BJP corporators, were present at the general meeting of the local civic body. Patel, previously a Congress member, was even taunted as a 'Congress-favouring mayor' by the chairman of the standing committee.
The standing committee had recently approved an increase in rent of the community halls in the city. Opposition party Congress had wanted to question the ruling party in the general meeting of the body over the issues of increase in rent, investigation into the procurement of poor quality paver blocks and removal of encroachments.
Members of the BJP did not wish that the opposition raises the issues in the general meeting and so, the deputy mayor and standing committee chairman requested the mayor to not call for the meeting. The mayor, however, still went ahead and called the meeting on Friday. BJP members gathered in the chamber of the standing committee chairman before the meeting but left the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation's (GMC) office soon after.
The standing committee chairman Manu Patel said, "We had not received the agenda of the meeting and that is why we had advised the mayor to not call for the meeting. He acted like an agent of Congress and still called the meeting. We cannot answer queries of the opposition when we are not aware of the agenda of the meeting. We had all decided unanimously to stay away from the meeting."
Reacting to the incident Mayor Pravin Patel said, "They are trying to single me out. I believe they should not have increased the rent of community halls. I am loyal to the BJP and have proved my loyalty too."
Patel was elected as Congress' member in GMC's elections held in 2016 but joined the BJP on the day of elections for mayor and deputy mayor. BJP members had voted for Pravin Patel for the post of mayor.
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