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Kanpur BJP, SP corporators brawl over ‘credit theft’ in House
The altercation, which lasted for nearly 20 minutes, saw the two parties jostling violently, with some even on the verge of exchanging punches.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) corporators came to blows over allegations of ‘credit theft’ for civic works, in the general house of Kanpur Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Tuesday. The altercation, which lasted for nearly 20 minutes, saw the two parties jostling violently, with some on the verge of exchanging punches.
The tension began when BJP corporator Vikas Jaiswal from Ward 91 accused an SP MLA of falsely taking credit for the completion of civic projects funded by the BJP. Jaiswal claimed that the SP MLA had affixed his name to a plaque for works carried out in the ward, with an expenditure of ₹30 lakh. He further alleged that this was part of a broader pattern of SP leaders attempting to usurp the credit for BJP-led initiatives in the city.
The accusation ignited a sharp rebuttal from the SP camp. Kaushik Rajat Bajpai, an SP corporator, vehemently denied the charge, stating that the MLA in question, Amitabh Bajpai, had contributed his own funds towards the projects, thereby justifying his name on the plaque. Bajpai accused the BJP of spreading falsehoods and misleading the public.
As the verbal exchange turned hostile, BJP corporators began shouting slogans against MLA Bajpai, while their SP counterparts physically confronted them, escalating the situation into chaos. The mayor, Pramila Pandey, attempted to restore order but soon found herself overwhelmed by the disorder. In the face of the mounting unrest, she walked out of the house, forcing the session to be adjourned for an hour.
The clash intensified as insults flew between the two factions, with both sides resorting to foul language. The confrontation reached a fever pitch, with several corporators nearly exchanging blows. It was only when a group of independent corporators intervened that tempers were somewhat cooled, though the air of hostility remained palpable.
Meanwhile, mayor Pramila Pandey condemned the behaviour of the corporators, calling it an unacceptable disruption of proceedings. She announced that an inquiry would be launched into the allegations made by BJP corporator Jaiswal, affirming that the projects in question were carried out under the purview of the Kanpur Municipal Corporation (KMC), and that the MLA had no right to claim credit for them, despite his financial contribution.
