The proposal to appoint 10 co-opted members to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) was once again deferred on Monday after the general body decided to send the matter back for reconsideration and present a revised proposal at a later date. The decision sparked protests from opposition parties, particularly the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has been awaiting approval for its three nominees despite submitting their names months ago.
Background of the Delay
The delay comes even though the newly elected civic body has been in place since January and has already held at least six general body meetings. Sources said the holdup was largely due to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) inability to finalise its seven nominees. As per the provisions governing co-opted members, PCMC can appoint 10 members based on the strength of political parties in the House. Under the current composition, the BJP is entitled to nominate seven members, while the NCP is eligible to nominate three.
Political Reactions
Leader of the House and BJP corporator Prashant Shitole acknowledged that the delay was due to the party not having finalised its candidates. “There are many deserving aspirants and the names have not been finalised yet. The process will restart, and the co-opted members will be appointed at a later stage,” he said. Leader of opposition Bhausaheb Bhoir criticised the move and urged the House to approve the NCP’s nominees independently of the BJP’s pending list. “We have no objection if BJP needs more time to decide its seven nominees. However, there is no justification for delaying approval of our three names,” Bhoir said.
Internal Party Processes
Sources within the BJP said the party’s core committee had shortlisted several candidates and forwarded the names to the state leadership. A final decision, however, was still awaited, they added. The NCP has expressed frustration over the repeated postponements, arguing that the delay in appointing co-opted members hampers the functioning of the municipal corporation.
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