Bhayandar: Taking serious note of a rebellion within the ranks, the Congress has sought disqualification of its corporator Sarah Akram for defying the party’s official whip by remaining absent from the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) mayoral election on February 26. Incensed at the defiance of the corporator, the MBMC Congress group leader, Jubeir Inaamdar, has failed an appeal with the Konkan divisional commissioner, who is a quasi-judicial authority to disqualify erring members for disobeying the party whip.
“Akram has clearly acted against the party by abstaining herself which apparently helped the BJP in the polling. Due action as per the provisions of law has to be taken against her,” said Inaamdar.
Claiming that she has not carried out any activity against the party, Akram continued to maintain neither was she aware of the election dates nor had she received any whip. With a total strength of 34 members, the Sena and the Congress had teamed up as Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to fight the BJP, which has 61 corporators in the 95-member house.
Jyotsna Hasnale and Hasmukh Gehlot (both BJP) were elected mayor and deputy mayor respectively in a straight contest with their MVA rivals.
Notably, the MVA leadership had filed a complaint with the local police alleging Akram and two other Sena corporators were abducted by the rival camp on the eve of the election. All the three had abstained from the poll process.
