Vadodara Municipal Corporation Suspends All Opposition Congress Councillors During Budget Session
In an unprecedented move that has sparked significant political controversy, all seven councillors from the opposition Congress party in the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) were suspended from the crucial budget meeting on Wednesday. This marks the first time in the history of the civic body that such disciplinary action has been taken against opposition members during a budget session.
Commotion Leads to Unprecedented Suspension
The suspension followed a heated commotion during the budget meeting, which had commenced on Tuesday. Wednesday's session was designated for opposition members to voice their concerns and opinions. Traditionally, this opportunity has been utilized by opposition councillors to highlight civic issues, alleged irregularities, and provide critical feedback on the proposed budget alongside general commentary.
The situation escalated when a Congress councillor delivered an extended speech. Ruling party members demanded that the speech be curtailed, leading to strong objections from the opposition. Congress councillors argued that BJP members had been granted ample speaking time on Tuesday and insisted that opposition voices should be allowed to express themselves freely without restrictions.
As tensions mounted, opposition councillors moved to the well of the house to make their representations more forcefully. Mayor Pinky Soni repeatedly instructed the opposition members to return to their designated seats, but her requests were ignored by the protesting councillors.
Mayor Invokes GPMC Act Powers
Faced with continued defiance, Mayor Pinky Soni exercised the authority vested in her position under the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations Act (GPMC) to suspend all seven opposition councillors from the ongoing budget meeting. Following their removal from the proceedings, the municipal budget was successfully passed by the remaining members.
In a post-meeting statement to media representatives, Mayor Soni emphasized that substantial effort had been dedicated to preparing the budget and stressed the importance of maintaining healthy, constructive discussions. She asserted that sufficient opportunity had been provided to opposition members but suggested they appeared more interested in prolonging proceedings rather than engaging in substantive debate.
The mayor further clarified that multiple requests were made for opposition members to return to their seats before the suspension decision was implemented, indicating that the disciplinary action was taken as a last resort to restore order to the proceedings.
Opposition Decries Attempt to Muffle Critical Voices
Chandrakant Shrivastav, Leader of the Congress in the VMC, condemned the suspensions as an unprecedented event in the civic body's history. He characterized the action as a deliberate attempt to suppress opposition voices and prevent scrutiny of the ruling administration.
"We were prepared to raise significant issues and irregularities that would undoubtedly make the ruling party uncomfortable," Shrivastav stated. "The mayor's actions did not appear to be independent but rather followed specific instructions to silence critical opposition."
A senior VMC functionary confirmed that no similar suspension of councillors from a meeting had occurred for at least two decades, underscoring the exceptional nature of Wednesday's events. Despite the suspension from the budget session, the affected councillors will retain their ability to participate in upcoming board meetings of the municipal corporation.
Budget Approved Without Opposition Amendments
Following less than two days of discussions, the general board of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation cleared the annual budget totaling Rs 7,672.21 crore. Notably, the board rejected all amendments proposed by opposition councillors, passing the budget in its original form without modifications.
The budgetary process began with VMC commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu proposing an initial budget of Rs 7,609.63 crore. The standing committee subsequently increased this amount to Rs 7,672.21 crore before presenting it to the full board for approval.
During the budget meeting, the opposition Congress party had submitted 441 proposed amendments aimed at modifying various aspects of the financial plan. Additionally, suspended BJP councillor Ashish Joshi contributed one amendment suggestion. All 442 proposed changes were systematically rejected by the board members, resulting in the budget's passage without any opposition-inspired alterations.
This development highlights growing tensions within the Vadodara Municipal Corporation and raises important questions about democratic processes in local governance, particularly regarding the treatment of opposition voices during critical financial deliberations.
