Opposition walks out of BMC meeting over Ghatkopar West road widening
High drama unfolded at the BMC House in Mumbai on Thursday when opposition parties staged a walkout during a general body meeting after a confrontation over the voting procedure for an urgent road-widening proposal in Ghatkopar West. The opposition, comprising corporators from the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, Samajwadi Party, AIMIM, and MNS, accused Mayor Ritu Tawde of sidestepping a vote on the controversial infrastructure project.
The dispute centered on an urgent proposal to revise the regular road line of Khot Lane in Ghatkopar West. The plan proposed widening the lane from 6 metres to 9 metres under the provisions of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, and the Development Control and Promotion Regulations, 2034. The proposal covers multiple land parcels located in Ghatkopar-Kirol village.
Before the proposal could be officially taken up for discussion, opposition members demanded a division of votes. They argued that under the prevailing rules, any urgent business proposal requires approval by a two-thirds majority in the house before it can be discussed.
The opposition claimed that the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance did not possess the required numbers to secure this two-thirds majority, which led to a prolonged standoff between the ruling and opposition benches.
Following consultations with civic officials and leaders of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, Mayor Ritu Tawde announced that the proposal would not be voted on during the session. Instead, she decided that the proposal would be placed before a special meeting to be held on a later date.
Mayor Tawde then proceeded to the next item on the agenda, which was a discussion on the inquiry report into the fatal Chembur tree-fall incident.
This move triggered immediate protests from the opposition corporators. Accusing the Mayor of deliberately bypassing the voting process to protect the proposal from defeat, members of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, Samajwadi Party, AIMIM, and MNS staged a walkout from the BMC House in protest.
