JAIPUR: In an unexpected move, the ruling Congress party on Monday appointed rival BJP’s Sheel Dhabhai as the officiating mayor of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, Greater, a day after it suspended mayor Somya Gurjar, who was handpicked by the saffron party.
The move appears to be a snub for BJP as the ruling Congress had not only suspended its elected mayor but has now given officiating charge to Dhabhai, a former mayor who claims to be a loyalist of BJP ex-chief minister Vasundhara Raje.
The BJP party had secured a comfortable victory in municipal corporation polls in November 2020.
On Sunday, the directorate of local bodies (DLB) had suspended Somya Gurjar and three BJP councillors for allegedly misbehaving with the JMC commissioner on Friday.
It has now issued an order and appointed Dhabhai to perform the duties of the mayor.
The JMC post is reserved for a woman in the other backward class (OBC) category.
In the municipal elections, Dhabhai was among the front-runners for the mayor’s post as she was the first woman mayor of Jaipur city.
Jaipur: Cong appoints Raje’s ‘loyalist’ as officiating mayor
