Speaking to Express Newsline, leader of the house in the SMC Shankar Chevli claimed that the reconstitution of the civic committee is a ``routine work''. As per the BPMC Act, the civic committees have to be reconstituted every year. The committees are constituted for one year. But to be on the safe side, he said, the party would like to seek expert opinion and ``we may even seek the advice of the state leadership''.

Chevli and former standing committee chairman Ajay Choksi maintained that the formation of civic committees do not violate the model code of conduct, which have been in force since the election commission announced the dates for Lok Sabha elections.

He claimed that the ``reconstitution of civic committees does not amount to influencing the electorate. I think there should be no problem in setting up new committees''. But the party will still seek the opinion of experts and the high command in this matter, he added.

Meanwhile, the mayor, deputy mayor, standing committee chairman and leader of the house have surrendered their official vehicles and mobile phones. The SMC's elected leaders received directives from Chief Electoral Officer Balwant Singh and the party high command, asking all post holders in civic bodies to return official cars and not use official vehicles till the elections are over.

Despite the model code of conduct coming into force, Chevli said the mayor and deputy mayor could use the official car to come to office but they preferred to surrender it to ``avoid any controversy''. ``We did not want to give any chance to our opponents to accuse us of misusing official cars during the pre-election period'', he added.

The tenure of nine civic committees is to end on August 31 when the political parties will be in the thick of elections. In fact, these bodies themselves would not like to be dissolved before their tenure is over. In all probability, the civic committees will be announced only after the Lok Sabha elections in October.

There are chances, said a senior councillor, that the party might ask the present members and chairmen of the various committees to continue in office till civic elections sometime in April-May next year.