AHMEDABAD: Despite protests from a number of party councillors, the state Congress on Tuesday appointed Shehzad Khan Pathan as Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for one year.
The appointment was made nearly 11 months after the civic polls held last year. The decision to appoint a minority community leader in a polling year in BJP-ruled Gujarat is being seen as an attempt by the Congress to keep its flock together in the face of challenge from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) which plans to contest assembly elections from Ahmedabad in full force.
As Pathan’s name was being finalised for the post of LoP, there were protests from at least 11 councillors, who even approached Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor and threatened to resign. The party has 24 councillors in the 192-member AMC.
“After due deliberation and taking into confidence all the party leaders and the high command, Pathan has been appointed LoP in the AMC. Nirav Bakshi was appointed the deputy LoP and Jagdish Rathod the chief whip,” said state Congress legislator C J Chavda who was the observer for the appointments.
In September 2021, he met AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi with a few other Muslim councillors, leading to speculation that they might leave Congress. “I would like to thank our senior leaders Raghu Sharma, Jagdish Thakor and each and every councillor and party worker for supporting me. I will fulfill my responsibilities with total dedication. The Congress will work with all its might to curb the rampant corruption in the civic body.
We will work taking everyone together,” Pathan said on Tuesday. “Four or five” councillors have been served show-cause notices for their opposition to the appointments, especially that of Pathan, Chavda said.
