All 12 Congress councilors elected for Maharashtra's Ambernath municipality joined BJP (file photo)
State Bureau, Mumbai. All the twelve newly elected councilors of Ambernath Municipality, expelled by the Congress, joined the BJP on Thursday. He was first suspended, then expelled, by the Congress for aligning with the BJP after the elections.
Maharashtra BJP President Ravindra Chavan said at the BJP office late on Wednesday night that this step is not motivated by lust for power but by a shared commitment towards development. He said that the public has elected these councilors.
He promised development to the citizens. They have come with us because the government is working in a dynamic manner and is capable of providing justice and development to the people.
After the local body elections held on December 20, the BJP formed an alliance with its arch rival Congress under the banner of 'Ambernath Vikas Aghadi' (AVA) and took over the leadership of Ambernath municipality in Thane district, sidelining ally Shiv Sena from the state to the central government, which has emerged as the single largest party. Ajit Pawar led NCP is also included in this Aghadi. AVA won a majority in the 60-member local body with 31 seats.
In the recently held elections, Shiv Sena won 27 seats, just four short of the majority. BJP won 14 seats, Congress 12, NCP four, while two independent candidates were also elected.
With the support of an independent member, the strength of the three-party alliance has increased to 32 councillors, crossing the majority mark of 30. Congress state president Harshvardhan Sapkal, while targeting BJP on this development, said that there is a lot of difference between the words and actions of BJP.
BJP should be ashamed of including Congress councilors in its party by forming such an unethical alliance. Embarrassed by this alliance that was formed without consulting the top leadership of the state, Congress on Wednesday suspended its 12 newly elected councilors as well as the block president. But the same night all these suspended councilors decided to join BJP. This political development has completely changed the political equations in the municipality.
Chavan said the councilors' move shows growing confidence in the BJP-led government. On BJP's alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM in Akot municipality of Akola district, Chavan said a show cause notice has been issued to his Akot MLA Prakash Bharskhale.
Whereas Shiv Sena, BJP's ally in the grand alliance, has called this development a betrayal of the alliance's dharma, as the purpose of the arrangement made in Ambernath was to prevent the Eknath Shinde-led party from taking over the reins of the local body.