NCP insists on action against five corporators

PIMPRI CHINCHWAD: The NCP and the municipal commissioner are locked in a dispute over tendering of resignations of five corporators who joined the BJP in the presence of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday.
The city NCP unit has demanded that the divisional commissioner S Chockalingam take action under the anti-defection law against the five corporators.
The party has claimed that the corporators did not tender their resignations from the primary membership to municipal commissioner Dinesh Waghmare. Waghmare confirmed that the resignations have been received.
The corporators include Shantaram Bhalekar, Nitin Kalje, Nitin Landge, Shraddha Landge and Shubhangi Londe, who are supporters of Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge.
Independent corporators Suresh Mhetre, and Aruna Bhalekar who are associated with NCP, Shiv Sena's Ajay Saykar, and MNS corporators Rahul Jadhav and Anant Korhale, along with 40 party workers, former NCP and Congress office bearers, also joined the BJP.
Ruling party leader Mangala Kadam faxed a letter to the divisional commissioner demanding that action be taken against the corporators. They should be disqualified immediately under Maharashtra Local Authority Disqualification Act 1986, said Kadam.
Waghmare said, "I have received resignation letters of nine corporators. The clerk in the inward-outward section accepts the letters on behalf of the municipal commissioner. But I have personally received the letter so there is no need to make inward registration. I have signed the letter."
Kadam said, "The signatures of women NCP corporators Shraddha Lande and Shubhangi Borhade are different. If five corporators are resigning from a party then it's big news. Municipal commissioner should have given this information to the media. The letters are of November 25 but were submitted on November 29." Kadam also alleged that Waghmare is working for the ruling BJP.
Rahul Bhosale, opposition leader and group leader of Congress corporators and Rashtravadi Congress Pranit Apaksha Aghadi has also faxed a letter to the divisional commissioner demanding that action be taken against corporators Suresh Mhetre and Aruna Bhalekar who joined the BJP.
Sachin Chikhale, president, Pimpri Chinchwad unit of MNS said, "We will send show-cause notice to two corporators Rahul Jadhav and Anant Korhale within 24 hours. MNS will also be sending letter to the divisional commissioner."