Congress back in power in Mansa taluka panchayat

The Congress came back to power in Mansa taluka panchayat, the native of BJP president Amit Shah, after ten of its rebel members, who had switched sides during assembly elections, was disqualified.

The Congress had 18 members in the 24-member taluka panchayat, and BJP had six.

However, ten Congress members had quit the party. The Congress had approached the designated authority seeking disqualification of the ten members under the anti-defection law.

The designated authority passed the order disqualifying the ten members on January 8, but the official copy of the order was provided today. "With the effective strength of Mansa taluka panchayat falling to 14, the Congress party, with eight members, is back in power," state Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi, said.

Doshi alleged that the BJP has been trying desperately to usurp power through money and various means in district and taluka panchayats where it had lost.