Badruddin Sheikh is leader of opposition in Ahmedabad civic body

It's official now. In a move to retain its traditional vote bank (voters from minority) and reward 20 minority candidates who have won Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) seats, the Congress party has decided to appoint Behrampura corporator Badruddin Sheikh as the leader of the opposition in the AMC.

While no Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) bosses were willing to go on record, highly placed sources in the GPCC suggest that an official letter from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has reached the GPCC suggesting that Badruddin Sheikh be made leader of opposition. The source also added that Naranbhai Patel from Nava Vadaj is Badruddin's deputy and Archana Makwana from Rakhial ward has been selected as whip.

Badaruddin will replace corporator from Kalupur Surendra Baxi. In the current panel, Baxi has been assigned to be on the 12-member standing committee of the corporation. It was after representation from around 18 corporators from the minority community who won elections on Congress tickets that the party decided to select a candidate from the community for the post.