Rajasthan govt makes U-turn on civic bodies' hybrid model

 The Rajasthan government on Friday withdrew its decision to elect mayors, presidents and chairpersons of civic units through the hybrid model, saying the civic unit heads will be elected from the pool of corporators and councillors but not as announced earlier through the hybrid model.

According to the hybrid model, any person was eligible to become mayor, president of civic units irrespective of contesting the elections.

Speaking on development, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, who had objected to the hybrid model, said: "I am happy that the government has changed its decision of having un-elected people run for the post of mayor and chairman. I believe it is against the ethos of our democracy and I am happy that the issue we took up has now been recognised and the government has changed its earlier decision."

As the rift in the state Congress widened on the issue, the party high command intervened and asked Rajasthan Urban Development and Housing Minister Shanti Dhariwal to discuss the model with Pilot, who had said "the model will promote horse trading".

On Thursday, Pilot and Dhariwal had a detailed discussion on the new model. During the meeting, Pilot said the hybrid model goes against the Congress' principles of democracy.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia termed the state government's U-turn as a people's victory, saying "the government had to take its undemocratic decision back under pressure from opposition".

"We had already started making arrangements for a protest against the hybrid model on November 1 but meanwhile, the government went on the backfoot," said Poonia.IANS