Local lawmakers have complained that they have been left out of Vadfest.
The city of Vadodara is getting ready for its biggest cultural extravaganza, the Vadodara International Arts and Culture Festival, or Vadfest. But with just days to go before the event begins, a controversy has erupted, with local BJP MLAs have said they have been left out.
The four-day event is being organized by an NGO and the Gujarat government. And the state government, in order to hard-sell the city as a cultural destination, has spent crores on a facelift for Vadodara.
But now, the government is facing trouble over the event from its own party MLAs. At least half a dozen MLAs in the Vadodara region and several councilors in the BJP-ruled Vadodara Municipal Corporation have distanced themselves from the event, and expressed resentment at being sidelined in the run-up to the pogramme, which is set to begin on Friday.
The event will see the likes of internationally acclaimed artistes like Yanni and AR Rahman perform. Around 8000 tickets to the Yanni performance have been sold between Rs 2,500 rupees and Rs 30,000, with tickets for the corporate box selling between Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh. And 30,000 tickets to the Rahman show have been priced between Rs 500 and Rs 30,000.
The aggrieved lawmakers assert that the ticket pricing is exorbitant and some claim they have been ignored. "We haven't even got an invite for the programme. It is a big event for the cultural capital, and we want people's representatives to be involved. It should not be restricted to just a few people. We are saddened with the way we have been kept out of it," said Ketan Inamdar, the legislator of Savli constituency.
However, the government seems to be unfazed by the anger amongst its party lawmakers. "There is democracy in our country. Whosoever has to stay away can do so. And those who want to be a part of it are welcome. Our objective is very clear. We want to promote Vadodara as a cultural capital," said Gujarat's Industries Minister, Saurabh Patel.
And with only a few days left for the festival to begin, the orgnaisers are only hoping that the showdown doesn't escalate further.