Sanjeev K Sharma
JAMMU, Oct 15: While the J&K BJP is all set to announce its candidates for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) tomorrow, the Independents have also decided to contest the election for these posts which is scheduled to be held on October 21, 2022.
Sources informed that BJP national general secretary and incharge J&K, Tarun Chugh will visit Jammu tomorrow to finalise candidates for Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts from the shortlisted four which include Parmod Kapahi and Baldev Singh Billowria for the post of Mayor and Rajinder Sharma and Neeraj Puri for the post of Deputy Mayor.
Meanwhile, in a meeting Independent Councillors of JMC today decided to contest elections for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
The meeting was chaired by Ch. Manmohan Singh, former JMC Mayor.
The Independents have nominated Councillor Anu Bali of Ward 24 as candidate for the post of Mayor while Amit Gupta, Councillor of Ward 19 was nominated for the post of Deputy Mayor.
Ch. Manmohan Singh informed that both the candidates will file their nomination papers on October 17 which is the last date of filing nomination papers.
He also informed that this same group of Councillors had nominated late Vijay Choudhary, Councillor of Ward 42 as candidate for the post of Mayor in 2018 and she had bagged 31 votes at that time.
Singh extended wholehearted support to the newly selected candidates for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor and said that the ultimate aim of public representatives should be to resolve issues and problems of common people.
Though two Councillors-one from BJP and another Independent have died now while some including Independents have joined either BJP or Congress, the BJP still has 44 members in a House of 75 ensuring easy victory to its candidate while number of Independents is just 15.
While BJP candidate Parmod Kapahi shortlisted for the post of Mayor is from Ward 14 (Bhagwati Nagar area) and Rajinder Sharma shortlisted for the post of Deputy Mayor represents Ward 16 (New Plot area) and both these Wards are in Jammu West Constituency while Baldev Singh Billowria represents Ward 56 (Gangyal area) which is in R.S Pura segment and Neeraj Puri represents Ward 54 (Nanak Nagar area) which falls in Gandhi Nagar Constituency. Sources in BJP informed that to ensure equitable representation to all the areas, if the Mayor from Jammu West is shortlisted then Deputy Mayor will not be from Jammu west and vice versa.
Earlier the authorities have notified that election for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of JMC shall be held on October 21, 2022 at 11 am by means of open ballot and the nomination papers for that shall be available in the office of JMC Secretary which after duly filled and signed by the candidates shall be delivered to the same office by or before October 17, 2022 from 10 am to 4 pm.
The resignations of outgoing Mayor, Chander Mohan Gupta and Deputy Mayor, Purnima Sharma, both from BJP were accepted on October 12, before that in a meeting of J&K BJP at a Club in the city on September 24, 2022, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor had resigned from their posts as their tenure of two and half years, which was set at the time they both assumed their offices, was over much before but they were allowed to continue due to COVID-19 pandemic.
It is pertinent to mention here that BJP had won the Urban Local Body elections of JMC in 2018 with thumping majority of 43 winners while 18 Independents and 14 Congress members were also declared victorious in a House of 75 Councillors and the election for JMC was held at that time after a gap of 13 years.
Earlier, J&K BJP president, Ravinder Raina had said National BJP president, J.P Nadda will give the final word on the names of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Sources informed that Nadda has directed Chugh to visit Jammu to announce the names of candidates for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Chander Mohan Gupta and Purnima Sharma were made Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively on November 15, 2018.
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