Former EC pays personal visit to CSMC

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Former State Election Commissioner J S Saharia paid a surprise visit to the municipal corporation headquarters on Monday. He conducted a meeting with former corporators of different political parties. However, very soon the faces of the former corporators fell after Saharia claimed that this was his personal (not official) visit. Hence according to them the aim for which they attended the meeting remained unfulfilled.

Under his study tour, Saharia is meeting with the former corporators of five municipal corporations in the state. The subject of his study is on how transparently the municipal corporation elections could be conducted. He is accompanied by a professor from Mumbai University. He arrived at the civic headquarters on Monday at 3 pm. He had invited the former corporators and arranged the meetings with them in sessions. In the first session, former corporators of BJP, Congress and Shinde Sena were invited to the meeting.

At the outset of the meeting, Saharia clarified to them that he had not come on behalf of the Election Commission. Instead, he is discussing with the elected corporators, defeated candidates and candidates who had withdrawn their nominations. He also mentioned notifying the experience of any corporator who had been elected as unopposed. The faces of the former corporators fell on hearing these words from Saharia. Later on, they gave their mobile numbers to him and suggested to contact them afterwards at any time. By saying this, they stepped out of the meeting room.

Shouting of slogans by MIM

MIM party’s former corporators were not invited to the first session meeting. Hence the party’s group leader Naser Siddiqui, former corporator Zameer Quadri and other activists shouted slogans outside the meeting room. This created tension on the campus for some time.

How was the meeting held at CSMC?

Saharia is a retired gazetted officer, and his personal study tour is ongoing. Now, political leaders are raising questions about how he held a meeting with former corporators. Municipal Corporation officials are remaining silent on commenting about the meeting.

Box

The municipal corporation has been governed by an administrator since April 2020. Former corporators and other aspirants are eagerly waiting for the municipal elections to be held. Hence smiles prevailed on the faces of leaders and public representatives on arrival of Saharia at CSMC.