Jaipur
The mayor has not taken into consideration the suggestions of three party legislators, including a cabinet minister, out of nine legislators in committees formation.
Updated : May 20, 2018, 06:30 AM IST
The functioning committees of Jaipur Municipal Commission (JMC) have been formed keeping in view the upcoming assembly elections. In the selection of the committee chairman, councillors’ influence in the field has been kept in mind with caste equation. The effect of Mayor on the formation of the committees clearly shows that two of the three councillors, who were said to be lobbying against Lahoti, have not been made the chairmen. While a councillor becomes the chairman on the strength of his organisational approach.
The mayor has not taken into consideration the suggestions of three party legislators, including a cabinet minister, out of nine legislators in committees formation. In the Sanganer assembly constituency, the two committee chairmen have been nominated by the mayor himself. Sanganer MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari is currently sidelined in the party. So his opinion was not taken. Even in Vidyadhar Nagar area, the recommendation of local MLA Narpat Singh Rajvi was not considered for committee chairman. Mayor has made Gopal Krishna Sharma, chairman, out of his own choice. While Bhagwat Singh Dewal and Sanjay Jangir are BJP’s Jaipur city unit president Sanjay Jain’s choice. Jain is the probable candidate from Vidyadhar Nagar area in upcoming assembly elections and he is engaged in election preparations in the constituency. Therefore, using his influence, he appointed two councillors as chairmen. On the other hand, fearing to lose in assembly elections, BJP’s outgoing state president Ashok Parnami got independent councillor Santra Verma as chairman. Verma contested as a BJP rebel candidate in 2014 municipal elections and became a councillor for the second time. She was elected a councillor on the BJP ticket before. Verma’s ward has about 24,000 voters and she has a strong influence on them. In the upcoming assembly elections, Parnami doesn’t wants to lose from Adarsh Nagar, therefore he got Verma nominated. Verma has been given an important slum development committee. Anil Sharma, Vishnu Lata, and Bhagwat Singh Dewal were lobbying against mayor Lahoti. The three councillors had signed a proposal made by the BJP councillors against the mayor. Mayor excluded Anil Sharma and Vishnu Lata from the committee chairmanship. Dewal became the chairman on Jain’s influence.
The mayor’s residence is in Sanganer assembly area and he wants to contest the assembly elections from there and he has already started the groundwork for the polls. Lata is also involved in the race for assembly ticket. By killing two birds with one stone, the mayor has reduced Lata’s stature by not making him a chairman while weakening one of his opponents.
Through the panels, mayor also responded to Industry Min Rajpal Shekhawat. Shekhawat was not in favour of Lahoti becoming mayor. After municipal polls, Shekhawat had lobbied against Lahoti and had made Nirmal Nahata mayor instead. BJP removed Nahata in ’16 and had made Lahoti the mayor. He has taken his revenge by giving a lesser importance panel to Shekhawat’s close aides.