GCCI: Elections to be held for Business Women Committee

In a major blow to the leadership of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), the High Powered Committee (HPC) – which looks into constitutional aspects of GCCI – pronounced the process of amending the Constitution of GCCI to replace the election of Business Women Committee (BWC) with nomination of members to the committee, as unconstitutional. This paves the way for elections to BWC.

The GCCI, in the run up to the elections for the term of 2018-19, amended the Constitution of GCCI, removing the provision of election of Business Women Committee and instead, included a provision of nominating members to the committee. The amendment was challenged, bringing the HPC into the picture.

Sources said that the gap (of days) between the notice for the amendment and bringing out the amendment was not followed, implying that the amendment itself is unconstitutional.

“The judgement of the HPC is final. We have to act on it,” said Jaimin Vasa, president of GCCI. He also ruled out any ways to bypass the judgement, which means that elections will have to be held now.

The previous establishment of GCCI was of the opinion that there are still not enough women entrepreneurs who are members of GCCI and its Business Women Committee. Under those circumstances, conducting elections would create a rift among them, affecting their unity. It was instead suggested that committee members be nominated. For this, the Constitution was amended.