Key Points

The protestors alleged that the government has “crippled” them by stripping away their powers, leaving them unable to address the problems of the people.

The councillors warned that if their demands are ignored, the ruling alliance will face a huge loss in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections.

The agitation turned into a mass foot march as hundreds of ward councillors, deputy chief councillors, and chief councillors from various municipalities converged in Patna.

The march began from Daroga Rai Path, with a show of unity from local representatives across the state.

They demanded restoration of the old system where the mayor and deputy mayor were elected by ward councillors, and a hike in pay scale, increasing their honorarium from the current Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000 per month.

The ward councillors surrounded the JD-U office and raised slogans against the state government.

The councillors declared that they had not come to Patna to make requests, but to issue a final warning.

“If the government does not wake up, the whole of Bihar will have to suffer the consequences,” the protestors shouted.

Claiming their political weight, a ward councillor, Ranbir Kuahwaha, said, “We are 8,000 councillors with 80 lakh votes. Together, we influence nearly 12 per cent of Bihar’s vote share.”

The councillors warned that if their demand for financial powers is ignored, they would work to overthrow the government.

One leader said bluntly, “Let Nitish Kumar get his election done directly by the people, then he will understand how much trouble he is in.”

They further compared the democratic system to their plight: “An MLA elects the Chief Minister. An MP elects the Prime Minister. But when we elected the Mayor, he used to listen to us. Today, we cannot even install a tap.”

Frustrated, they said the public now abuses them for not being able to solve basic civic issues.

“People are demanding answers from us, but what should we answer when we are powerless?” Sunil Kumar said.

- IANS