Maharashtra: BJP-led Municipal Council Passes Resolution Against CAA-NRC-NPR

On Monday, 19 of total 27 councillors of the Sailu municipal council in Maharashtra’s Parbhani district asked its chairman Vinod Borade to pass a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). They demanded that Borade should himself pilot the resolution in the monthly meeting of councillors. When the meeting took place, only two members including the chairman opposed the resolution. The notable thing is that the municipal body is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, whose government at the Centre passed the contentious CAA and has also proposed the NPR exercise.

"I personally do not agree with the resolution that the members asked me to present. But ultimately it is democracy and almost 12 to 15 councillors came to me and asked that they want this resolution to be passed today itself," Vinod Borade told NewsClick.

Borade was elected as an independent in 2017 in direct election as municipal council chairman. However, he joined BJP in August 2019, just a few weeks ahead of the Maharashtra state Assembly elections. Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was also present when he joined the right-wing party. "I am still with BJP and bound to party's work. But at this local level, I will have to listen the demands of my members," he added.

Borade, with 16 other independent members, had won the elections in 2017. He belongs to a political family whose members have been in control of power in the city for nearly two decades. "Not a single person got elected in Sailu on the symbol of lotus. Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena, all have their corporators here. But no one from BJP. When we joined BJP around six months back, the entire body had joined with us. It is only now that there is a BJP flag in the city. However, the pressure to put forth the resolution came from the people’s side. BJP as a party does not really have a base here," he said.

Also read: CM Thackeray Blows Hot and Cold: Now Says Ready to Scrutinise NPR Questionnaire

Sailu's population as per Census 2011 is 46,915. Hindus constitute 60.05%, Muslims are 30.29% and Buddhists are 7.84%. There are small percentages of Jains, Sikhs, Christian and others. "The Muslim and dalit population in our city is strongly against the CAA-NRC. They have been demanding to take some steps. We have seven Muslim corporators. A few corporators are also dalits. In such a situation, I can't say no to their demand of resolution. Its people's pressure finally," he said, adding that the entire discussion on resolution was over within five minutes and in a friendly manner.

Several other municipal councils in Marathwada have passed similar resolutions. Ambajogai and Parali in Beed, which are both with NCP, and Gangakhed in Parbhani—where Sailu also falls under—have also passed resolutions rejecting the three-pronged attack of the Centre and taken a stand that they won't implement it. But, all these councils are with NCP, Congress or Shiv Sena, Sailu being the first council led by BJP to pass such a resolution.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP has been mulling over a decision to bring a pro-CAA-NRC-NPR resolution in the state Assembly to explore the faultlines between Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP, who are now in a coalition government in the state. However, in the backdrop of a BJP-led municipal council passing a resolution against the contentious proposals, it will be interesting to see if the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government uses it to corner the BJP.

Also read: Isalak, the David to a Goliath-Like Indian State, and its Struggles Against CAA-NRC