The Times of India 09.12.2010
Race hots up for key posts in VMC
VADODARA: With the date for the first board meeting of the newly elected councillors of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) nearing, heavy politicking is being witnessed for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor who will be elected in the meeting here on Tuesday. Over this weekend, the BJP will take up the task of zeroing on the candidates for the two top posts in the civic body.
The post of the mayor for the first 2.5 years is reserved for a woman councillor. The BJP has several options on hand with several prominent women leaders getting elected in the recent polls. Some of them also have experience of working in the civic body.
Till recently Dr Jyoti Pandya was believed to be the frontrunner for the post with competition from Mamta Kale, Vandana Khode and Ranjan Bhatt. However, names of councillors Sunita Shukla and Vidya Gohil are also being discussed in the BJP circles now.
Many in BJP believe that the next Vadodara mayor could be a non-Maharashtrian person as the post is being presently held by Balkrishna Shukla who is a Maharashtrian. Shukla also went on to contest the Lok Sabha polls and became Vadodara MP. If the party too works on the same lines, Kale, who is a former deputy mayor would have thin chances of becoming mayor.
BJP functionaries said party state general secretary Bharatsinh Parmar would be visiting the city on Friday to hold meetings with the executive committee of the city BJP and elected councillors. Their opinions regarding the choice of the next mayor would be sought. Functionaries added that after this the meeting of the state parliamentary board would be held for finalising the mayor.
The deputy mayor’s post has several aspirants as it would go to a male councillor this time around. It will also be used to bargain for a berth in the standing committee. “Many will lobby for the post only to walk out later if assured that they will be given a berth in the standing committee,” said an insider.
