Nagpur, Jan 22 (PTI) Despite their top leaders frowning upon such practices, the BJP, AIMIM and Congress came together in the Achalpur Municipal Council in Maharashtra’s Amravati district to ensure unopposed
election of various committee chairpersons.
This development comes days after the BJP forged partnerships with the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and Congress in Akot and Ambernath local bodies, respectively.
In the last month’s local body elections in Achalpur, the Congress won 15 of the 41 seats, followed by the BJP’s 9 seats, AIMIM (3), Independents (10), Prahar Janshakti Party (2) and NCP (2).
Following the alignment, an AIMIM councillor was elected unopposed as the chairperson of the education and sports committee. Similarly, a Congress member became the chairman of the water supply committee, while a BJP councillor was elected as the head of the women and child welfare committee.
Achalpur BJP MLA Pravin Tayade told the media that he had not been taken into confidence when this arrangement was finalised. The legislator said he was only given the election responsibility for ward number 1 during the local body polls.
“I’m an MLA with a Hindutva ideology, and our party also follows Hindutva ideology. So, I can never do such a thing. However, whatever decision our party seniors take in this matter, we will accept it,” he said in response to a question about the understanding between the BJP and AIMIM.
After the local body polls in the state last month, the BJP had stitched a partnership with the AIMIM in the Akot Municipal Council in Akola district, but it was scrapped following a rebuke by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
In the Ambernath Municipal Council, the BJP and Congress joined hands to keep the Shiv Sena at bay. The move prompted the Congress to suspend all its 12 councillors, but they soon joined the BJP. PTI COR CLS NR
