Approval of appointment of 9 elected councilors in Bhivandi Municipal Corporation, Congress in turmoil.

District Congress President and Workers Stage Protest at Municipal Corporation Gate, Former MP Suresh Tawre Accuses MLA Rais Sheikh of Serious Allegations

City News Mumbai / Gani Khan

After the approval of the appointment of nine sanctioned municipal councillors in Bhivandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation, city politics heated up. On Wednesday, 14 October, the special meeting of the Municipal Corporation approved all nine names. However, a dispute arose within the party over the three sanctioned councillors from the Congress side. Officials and workers of the District Congress Committee staged a protest at the Municipal Corporation headquarters gate to oppose the selection process. During this, former MP Suresh Tawre leveled serious accusations against Socialist Party MLA Rais Sheikh, claiming that he had bought and sold the Congress party. These accusations have intensified political agitation in Bhivandi.

According to the official agenda of Municipal Commissioner Anmol Sagar, a special meeting No. 8 was held at the late Vilasrao Deshmukh Hall at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Nine sanctioned municipal councillors were to be appointed in proportion to the 90 elected councillors of the Municipal Corporation. Under party‑wise allocation, Congress received three seats, BJP two, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Shiv Sena, Socialist Party, and Konkan Development Front each received one seat.

From the Congress side, Imran Mohammad Hadass Ansari, Arfan Abul Aziz Sheikh, and Sheikh Salam Ahmad were proposed. BJP's Sugandha Chandrakant Tawre and Ravikant Sitaram Sawant, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate Girish Krishna Mhatray, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Kashinath Kavalkar, Socialist Party's Bharat Jiraramdas Janglani, and Konkan Development Front's Mayur Vilas Patil were approved.

The party's local organization expressed displeasure over the three sanctioned councillors from the Congress side. Officials of the District Congress Committee alleged that the district leadership and veteran party workers were not adequately consulted when deciding the names.

Congress workers staged a protest at the main gate of the Municipal Corporation with banners and chanted slogans against the selection process. Protesters claimed that the three proposed candidates had no active engagement with the Congress organization. The district president also said that he had demanded a 15‑day halt on the selection process from the state Congress president, but despite this, the appointment process proceeded.

During the protest, former MP Suresh Tawre targeted MLA Rais Sheikh, accusing that external interference was influencing the decisions of the Congress organization in Bhivandi. He said that despite Congress having 30 municipal councillors, veteran and loyal party workers were being ignored.

Tawre alleged that MLA Rais Sheikh had bought and sold Congress. According to him, the party organization was bypassed to appoint such people as sanctioned municipal councillors, whose selection the local Congress leadership did not agree with. These accusations have brought internal divisions within Congress to the fore. However, no response from MLA Rais Sheikh regarding these allegations has been reported.

Considering the protest by Congress and the potential tension in the Municipal Corporation premises, the police deployed additional arrangements. Two large police vans and extra police personnel were present in the premises. During this time, Socialist Party MLA Rais Sheikh arrived at the Municipal Corporation with about 40 to 50 supporters. BJP workers also appeared in the premises wearing saffron handkerchiefs.

After the special meeting approved the nine names, supporters celebrated at the Municipal Corporation's main gate in the evening. Supporters lifted the newly appointed sanctioned municipal councillor from the Socialist Party, Bharat Jiraramdas Janglani, on their shoulders to congratulate him. They also welcomed Imran Ansari and Arfan Sheikh, who became sanctioned municipal councillors from Congress. Flowers and garlands were offered, and gulal was thrown in welcoming the newly appointed municipal councillors from BJP and Konkan Development Front.

After the appointment of the nine sanctioned municipal councillors, the total number of elected and sanctioned members in Bhivandi Municipal Corporation became 99. These appointments have intensified discussions on the political equations ahead of the upcoming mayoral election.

On one hand, supporters displayed enthusiasm after the appointments were approved, while on the other hand, the dispute that emerged within Congress has raised questions about the party's unity. Now all eyes are on the state Congress leadership to see how it resolves the grievances of the district unit and the questions raised about the selection process.