Bhopal July 4, 2026

A day before Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav's visit to Shivpuri, BJP, Congress and independent councillors jointly staged a protest against the functioning of the Municipal Council. They alleged that development works in the town had come to a standstill and sought the state government's intervention.

The protest was directed against the Municipal Council chairperson. The councillors sat on a dharna and accused the civic body of ignoring elected representatives while taking decisions related to development works.

The protesting councillors said repeated written and verbal representations had failed to resolve public issues. They alleged that they were not being consulted on matters concerning their wards, making it difficult for them to respond to residents' grievances.

They also claimed that government funds and welfare schemes were not reaching people effectively. According to the councillors, several wards continue to face problems related to roads, drinking water, sanitation and street lighting despite repeated demands for improvement.

The protest comes ahead of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav's visit to Shivpuri on Sunday, where he will join Union Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to lay the foundation stone of the Adani Group's defence manufacturing plant, a project with an estimated investment of Rs 2,500 crore. The two leaders will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for development works worth Rs 211.29 crore.

According to release the proposed defence manufacturing facility is expected to generate direct and indirect employment and create opportunities for local industries, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises, to become part of the defence production supply chain. The official programme will be held at the Polo Ground in Shivpuri.

Against this backdrop, the councillors said they hoped their protest would draw the attention of the state government. They demanded greater participation in development planning and called for immediate action to address long-pending civic issues. The protesters warned that their agitation would continue until their demands were addressed and councillors were given a meaningful role in executing development works.

The joint participation of BJP, Congress and independent councillors has given the protest political significance, highlighting rare unity across party lines over local civic issues just ahead of the Chief Minister's high-profile visit.

The Municipal Council chairperson had not responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report. The administration's response is also awaited.