Mon May 19 05:20:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Merchant Association Faces Internal Pressure for Voting Rights Reform**
**[City, Date]** – A growing internal dispute is brewing within the city’s Merchant Association as senior vice-presidents Ashish Modi Baba and Vivek Sharma have formally presented a memorandum to Association President Munna Bhaiya Jain, demanding significant changes to the upcoming election process.
The core of the demand centers on expanding voting rights to all GST-registered merchants in the city. Currently, only representatives from 36 affiliated trade organizations are eligible to participate in elections. Modi argues that extending voting rights to the estimated 7,000 GST-registered merchants in the city would strengthen the association, ensure broader representation, and lead to greater support for its decisions.
“Every merchant wants to be connected with the association,” Modi stated. “Right now, the voice of the association isn’t reaching everyone. When all merchants have the right to vote, decisions will have unified support, and the power of the association will increase.”
The memorandum, also circulated to the association’s 176 directors and officials, has garnered support from some members. The petitioners are giving the association 15 days to consider the proposed changes. The matter will be brought before a meeting of officials, where a decision will be made whether to put it to a vote.
Association President Munna Bhaiya Jain acknowledged receiving the memorandum and stated that the proposal will be presented at the next general meeting of the association. “Any changes to the election process require a vote by the general assembly,” Jain explained. “No single individual has the authority to amend the election process.”
The outcome of this internal debate could have a significant impact on the future direction and representativeness of the Merchant Association.
First Piper 