Uproar in budget meeting over ex-councillor’s remarks

Vadodara: Acrimonious scenes were witnessed during the Vadodara Municipal Corporation's (VMC) annual budget meeting on Tuesday, as a suspended BJP councillor's remarks triggered an uproar in the general board.The budget for 2026-27 was presented by VMC standing committee chairman Dr Sheetal Mistry at the start of the session. The general board is scheduled to deliberate on the budget over the next three days.
Following Mistry's budget speech, several councillor's from the BJP spoke in support of the proposals. However, tensions flared when Ashish Joshi, a corporator suspended from the BJP amid a major controversy linked to the mothers of two victims of the Harni boat tragedy, rose to raise objections.Joshi alleged that the civic body was suffering revenue losses from multiple sources and pointed to irregularities related to land owned by the VMC and other entities. His claims sparked protests from ruling party members, leading to noisy scenes inside the house.As the commotion intensified, the meeting was adjourned for the day. The session will resume on Wednesday morning.