With poll results of Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation ending in a tie today, senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela flagged concern on possible "horse trading" and proposed the strength of civic bodies should be in "odd numbers" to avoid such a situation.
Both the BJP and the Congress won 16 each of the total 32 seats in the civic body polls. Now a Mayor and other office-bearers will be elected through a draw of lots.
Taking reference from the Delhi government's odd-even policy for vehicles, Vaghela said Gujarat government should initiate a process to make all civic bodies have strength in odd numbers.
"Just like the odd-even formula of Arvind Kejrival (Delhi CM), Gujarat government is having this 'even' formula here. Just because the GMC board comprise 32 seats, which is an even number, the poll ended in a tie. This could have been avoided," Vaghela told reporters.
In the previous GMC election, Congress had won 18 seats while BJP secured 15. However, the saffron party later snatched power after three Congress councillors switched sides.
"I believe that all local bodies in the state should be having odd number seats, such as 31, 45, 67, etc. We could have a clear mandate in Gandhinagar today if the seats were odd-numbered. This system of odd number would have automatically avoided the tie," said Vaghela.
He said the tie usually prompts parties to engage in horse trading.
"In case of a tie, money and muscle power steps in. Many get attracted to offers while weak people succumbs to muscle power. Before this polls, tie took place in district and taluka panchayat polls a few months back. Government should think about introducing only odd-number formula," he said.
