Gandhinagar, Oct 23 (IANS) The BJP’s Gujarat unit is holding discussions on key civic appointments following its victory in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections, with the selection of the new mayor and standing committee chairman among the posts under consideration, according to party officials.
The party’s state election committee met in Gandhinagar on Friday in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and state BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma.
The meeting comes after the BJP retained control of the state capital’s civic body, winning 38 of the 44 seats in the elections on October 11.
The Congress won five seats, while an Independent candidate secured one. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had won one seat in the previous election, failed to open its account this time.
The mayor’s post in the GMC is reserved for a member of the Other Backward Classes (OBC). Four names — Kanaiyalal Desai, Mahesh Chaudhary, Dharmendra Nai and Rupsinhji Thakor — have emerged as possible contenders, according to reports.
The party is also considering appointments to the deputy mayor’s post, the standing committee chairmanship and the ruling party leadership in the corporation.
The standing committee chairman’s post is among the key positions in the civic body, given the committee’s role in examining municipal proposals and financial matters.
Mahendra Patel and Mehul Patel were among the names being discussed for the post, although there was no official confirmation of the final selection.
The BJP’s selection process follows the conclusion of elections to the GMC and two other local bodies, Okha and Thara. The party won 33 of 36 seats in Okha and 19 of 24 in Thara, retaining control of both municipalities.
Party leaders confirmed the presence of Patel, Vishwakarma and other key leaders at the state election committee meeting but did not specify the agenda or announce any appointments.
The names of the new civic office-bearers should therefore be treated as pending until the party makes a formal announcement.
–IANS
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