Rebellion In Ahmedabad Congress: 20 Councillors Boycott City Chief's Meeting, Demand Shehzad Khan As Opposition Leader

An internal feud within the Ahmedabad Congress erupted into public view on Tuesday after 20 municipal councillors boycotted a key strategy meeting convened by City President Sonal Patel ahead of the fourth board meeting of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). Skipping the crucial pre-board briefing, the rebelling faction marched straight into the council hall and submitted a joint written representation demanding the immediate reappointment of former Leader of Opposition Shehzad Khan.

The sharp rift has left the opposition party embarrassed, exposing deep-seated factionalism at a time when the municipal body remains without an official Opposition Leader even after four full board sessions.

Pre-Board Strategy Meeting Blown Apart

In standard AMC protocol, opposition councillors gather prior to general board sessions to map out floor strategies, delegate speakers, and streamline public issues to raise against the ruling BJP. However, Tuesday's meeting called by Sonal Patel saw an immediate breakdown of discipline as 20 of the party's elected representatives completely shunned the briefing.

Instead of participating in the official consultations, the dissenting group submitted a signed petition pressing the state leadership to restore Shehzad Khan to his former post, effectively stalling consensus and catching city party leaders off guard right before the council proceedings began.

MLA Tussle Behind The Leadership Deadlock

Political insiders reveal that the prolonged delay in picking an Opposition Leader stems from intense lobbying by senior party legislators fighting for control over the local civic body. One faction, backed by Jamalpur-Khadia MLA Imran Khedawala and former Dariyapur MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh, is pushing strongly for Nirav Bakshi to take over the post.

On the other side, Danilimda MLA Shailesh Parmar is reportedly leading the charge in support of Shehzad Khan, who has managed to rally 20 councillors to his cause. With two distinct camps locked in a stalemate, the Congress state unit has repeatedly failed to finalize a name, leaving the party leaderless on the floor of the AMC house and raising questions over its ability to mount a unified challenge to the municipal administration.