As the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) council elections are due towards the end of June or in early July, party workers of the various wards have started working to get their party tickets for the upcoming elections.
A sitting councillor of a ward, talking to G Plus in anonymity said, “The aspirants of the tickets have already started pulling the strings.”
The councillor said that the aspirants have started contacting the sitting members of legislating assembly (MLAs) and party leaders for the tickets.
There are 31 wards in the city and in every ward there is a councillor and 2 or three area sabha members.
The ward councillors have started teaming up with people who are expecting area sabha member tickets and would back the councillor’s candidature.
There are also other teams being formed by people who are not councillors or area sabha members but are politically active and have high profile links.
The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) office and Congress Party office are being thronged by the ward level party members with hopes to woo the senior party leaders for the tickets.
Money will play an important role for tickets, opined a councillor. According to the councillor, even earlier as well, many people had to pay huge amounts of money to secure a ticket. Similarly, this time too people will use money power to get party tickets.
Alliance a concern for councillors
As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) are together ruling the state through an alliance, many councillors are worried that if the same alliance is implemented during Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), a number of party workers will be left out.
A BJP councillor in the Gauhati (West) constituency, talking to G Plus said, “I am a sitting BJP councillor but if there is an alliance there is the possibility that the AGP candidate might get the ticket instead of me.”
Ramendra Narayan Kalita is the sitting AGP MLA from Gauhati (West) constituency and the councillors there are of the view that he might pitch for AGP workers rather than BJP workers for the councillor posts.
In 2013, 19 wards were captured by the Congress, 11 wards by BJP and only 1 ward by the AGP. Later, after Himanta Biswa Sarma joined BJP, many Congress councillors converted to BJP.
Many BJP workers in Jalukbari constituency are also worried that people who are not old BJP workers but are close to Sarma might get the tickets.
Draft electoral roll to be published today
The draft electoral rolls of all the 31 wards under Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) area will be published today in 31 designated locations in the 31 different wards.
Assam Engineering College Area LP School will get the roll for ward number 1, Bani Vidyapeeth, Maligaon will get the roll for ward number 2, Vidya Mandir High School, Maligaon will display the role for ward number 3, Maharshi Vidya Mandir, Maligaon – ward number 4, Maligaon Railway High School – ward number 5, Paschim Boragaon LP School – ward number 6, Champawati High School, Dhirenpara – ward number 7, Sona Ram School, Bharalumukh – ward number 8, Mahavir Bhawan, Fancy Bazar – ward number 9, PWD office, Fancy Bazar – ward number 10, T.C. Girls FI.S. School – ward number 11, Nizarapar L.P. School, Chandmari – ward number 12, PWD chief engineer’s office, Chandmari – ward number 13, Manipuri Basti LP School, Paltan Bazar – ward number 14, Arya Vidyapeeth School – ward number 15, Ambari Sishu Vidyalaya – ward number 16, Kahilipara High School – ward number 17, Ulubari High School – ward number 18, Gopal Boro School, Ganeshguri – ward number 19, Soil Conversation office, Zoo Road – ward number 20, AIDC office, Zoo Road – 21, Oil Refinery High School, Noonmati – ward number 22, Guwahati College – ward number 23, Narengi High School – ward number 24, Khadi Board office, Hengrabari – ward number 25, Rajdhani School, Dispur – ward number 26, Sabitri Bharali School, Udalbakra – ward number 27, Beltola College – ward number 28, Hatigaon High School – ward number 29, Ganesh Mandir High School, Rukminigaon – ward number 30 and Khanapara LP School – ward number 31.
A district administration source said that the voters could visit the designated locations and check their names. If there are any grievances, claims and objections can be registered at the designated locations before 14th May 2018.
