SRINAGAR: Peoples Conference spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu was on Tuesday voted out as the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Mayor when a ‘No Confidence Motion’ was passed against him by the Corporators.
Announcing the verdict, Mr Mattu alleged that seemingly unthinkable seems to have happened as National Conference (NC) and BJP have come together in Srinagar to vote him out.
“The vote of ‘No Confidence Motion’ against me, and the @JKPC_ has been passed in the SMC with 42 votes out of 70. The @BJP4India, @JKNC_ and some independents have polled against the @JKPC_ and @INCIndia abstaining whip where 28 Corporators abstained,” Mr Mattu wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.
The former Mayor said that he respects the verdict of the Corporation, saying it is time to spend some time with his family after nearly four months of war against COVID-19.
Mr Mattu said for those who know him – they would know that he take this verdict with humility and my chin up. “I am committed to serving the people of Srinagar to the best of my abilities now and also in the future,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude to PC, especially chairman Sajad Lone as well as his colleagues in SMC and Congress Corporators, who voted for him.
“I express gratitude to @JKPC_ especially our Chairman @sajadlone Sahab as well as my JKPC colleagues in SMC! I also express gratitude to JKPCC @INCIndia President @GAMIR_INC and colleagues from INC who voted for me. I’ll continue to work with you and uphold your trust,” he said.
He said he is looking forward to spending a lot of time with his family. “Have missed out on my daughter’s sweet little milestones especially in the last 6 months due to work. I will be writing about this and the unexpected alliance forged in SMC in due time. For now – time to kick back,” he added.
On Monday, Mattu met Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir and discussed with him the current situation in the SMC.
He had alleged on Friday that some Corporators were held in a hotel who are making desperate calls to be rescued from imprisonment by Personal Security Officers (PSOs) of former deputy Mayor Sheikh Imran and BJP District president Ashok Bhat.
He said that BJP has sought a ‘Vote of No Confidence’ against him for the second time in six months.
The former Srinagar Mayor said that the BJP group has claimed they have support from Congress and NC. However, both Congress and NC had unambiguously denied the claims.
The term of the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor is 30 months and both have to seek a fresh mandate from the corporators after the expiry of their term. Mattu had more than 18 months to seek a fresh mandate within the corporation.
Interestingly, Mattu had secured 40 votes to become Mayor in 2018 after BJP corporators supported him. He bagged more than 45 votes last year to defeat the NCM and then deputy mayor Sheikh Imran, who was in jail, was also removed.
Peoples’ Conference has 22 members, followed by the Congress with 17 corporators. As many as 11 independents joined the NC and many are with the PDP. The BJP has only four corporators.
However, BJP’s media in-charge for Kashmir, Manzoor Bhat, had recently claimed that 27 corporators affiliated with the party have moved the motion and that around 15 more members have extended support to it. (AGENCIES)
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