VMC mayor: BJP has 5 SC councillors to choose from

Vadodara: With the mayor's post in the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) reserved for a councillor from the Scheduled Castes (SC), the ruling BJP will have five councillors to choose from.The BJP won 69 seats in the VMC elections, including five SC-reserved seats. Of these, three are held by men and two by women, elected from different wards across the city. The eligible councillors are Samir Vaghela from Ward 12, Ajay Dabhi from Ward 8, Chetan Parmar from Ward 18, Meena Parmar from Ward 17 and Geeta Makwana from Ward 13. Sources said the first mayoral term of 2.5 years is reserved for an SC councillor without any gender specification, while the second term of 2.5 years will be reserved for a woman councillor from the OBC category. Given this arrangement, the party is likely to opt for a male SC councillor as mayor for the first term. Sources added that a woman councillor may be accommodated in another key position, such as deputy mayor or chairperson of the standing committee. The BJP is expected to hold consultations with party members regarding appointments within a week. The final decision will be taken by the party's state unit and parliamentary board.