Summary:
Other councillors have not done any work so we did not reward them.”While the male councillors were given bikes, the women were given scooters. While the independents enjoyed the majority in the 44-member municipality, the post of president and vice-president was won by BJP as eight independents voted for its candidates. Vadodara: Fourteen councillors of Godhra municipality were felicitated and given bikes and scooters by a Muslim trust in Godhra on Sunday morning for working for the community’s welfare.While the Muslim Ghanchi Samaj that organized the event claimed that they rewarded the councillors for their meritorious work, these 14 are those who had voted against the BJP’s candidates for president and vice-president of Godhra municipality in the recently held elections.“The event was not political. We had organized it to honour the councilors, who do meritorious work, and the students who have made our community proud,” said Mohammed Firdaus Kothi, president, Muslim Ghanchi Samaj.When TOI asked him the reason for rewarding councillors, who had not voted for BJP’s candidates, Kothi said, “There is no need to draw links. One councillor identified as Sanjay Soni returned his bike to the trust and donated Rs 11,000 for the education of children.The polls for the posts of president and vice-president had become gripping as the BJP, which was in opposition, huddled several of its councillors and eight independent councillors at an undisclosed location just days before the election..