SHIMLA: Within a year of coming to power at the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC), fissures have surfaced in incumbent BJP with majority of party councillors opening front against mayor Kusum Sadrate and deputy mayor Rakesh Sharma. Several councillors are accusing them of arbitrary functioning and demanding their removal.Sources said that over a dozen councillors have demanded the resignation of Sadrate and Sharma, claiming that they are functioning in arbitrary manner and not bothering to fulfill the promises made in the vision document released before the civic body elections last year. While chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday claimed to have resolved the matter, some of the municipal members have made it clear that they would not relent unless their demand to of remove mayor and deputy mayor is not accepted.I was after a wait of 32 years that BJP in 2017 clinched the power in SMC and Kusum Sadarate, who had won the election from Annandale ward, was appointed as the mayor. Rakesh Sharma, who had won the election as independent candidate from Pantha Ghati, was appointed as the deputy mayor.In the House of 34 members, BJP is the largest party with 20 councillors, followed by 14 councillors of the Congress and one of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).On June 20, BJP completed one year in power but could not celebrate in a big way as majority of councillors are on the verge of rebellion. They have even submitted a signed letter to education minister and Shimla MLA Suresh Bhardwaj demanding the removal of mayor and the deputy mayor.Engine Ghar councillor Arti Chauhan, one of the signatory to the letter, said they would not attend the House meeting under the leadership. “They lack vision due to which water crisis was witnessed in the town and cleanliness too has taken a backseat here. No attention is being paid to fulfill the promises made during the elections,” she said.Councillors are not happy with the fact that when Shimla was facing acute water shortage and people were protesting out on the roads, mayor was busy visiting China. On Wednesday, mayor was seen attending a function with the chief minister in Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly constituency that also left many BJP councillors fuming.When contacted, Sadrate said that she had no knowledge about her party’s councillors seeking her resignation. “No one has come to me so far. I had gone to China as official tour was finalized in March and I had taken the permission of government for this. I had gone to attend the chief minister’s function as I belong to that area,” she added.Sources in BJP said that resentment against Sadrate and Sharma was brewing for last couple of months. On coming to know this, BJP state organizing secretary Pawan Rana and political advisor to chief minister Trilok Singh Jamwal had held a meeting with dissidents to pacify them but in vain.While interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of the International Yoga Day, chief minister Thakur said that BJP had absolute majority in SMC and if some councillors had grievances then the same would be addressed. Sources said that dissidents have now been invited by the CM for talks.

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