After losing the seat reserved for women in ward number 10, winning the tribal seat of ward number 26 will be a prestige issue for the BJP. As January 3, election day, draws closer, councillors are expected to become more and more scarce in the Corporation.

For the moment, however, absenteeism peaked on Wednesday, when less than a handful of councillors were present in the Vadodara Municipal Corporation premises. For the past one month, they have been regularly canvassing for their party candidates in Bharuch.

Though their absence may not have affected civic works, it has disturbed Standing Committee and General Board meetings. The next Board meeting has been deliberately scheduled as late as November 30, while the last Committee meeting was adjourned on Saturday as only three members were present.

The next Committee meeting, too, has been scheduled for a Saturday, instead of Thursday; the 37 items on the agenda indicate how many proposals were not considered in last month's meetings.