SRINAGAR: A contest between candidates of BJP and Congress is expected to take place for the post of deputy mayor for which election are scheduled next week.
BJP spokesperson, Altaf Thakur told Kashmir Reader that Arif Raja, who is the party’s Srinagar president, will be the candidate from BJP in the deputy mayoral elections.
However, People Conference (PC) which has Junaid Mattu as the mayor will not be fielding any of its candidates.
SMCs last deputy mayor was businessman turned politician Sheikh Imran, who resigned from the coveted post after a no-confidence motion was moved against him.
“The party will not be fielding its own candidate, but will offer support to the one nominated by the congress,” said a senior PC leader, who choose to remain anonymous.
PC’s strength in the SMC is 26 and it has support of other 10 independents. While Congress has its own 10, making their candidates to have a support of 46 members.
BJP on its part has only 11, seven of which had recently joined the party. Thakur believes that the party will be able to garner support required for its candidate to win.
The poll for the deputy mayor post will be taken on January 13. Keeping in view any holiday or any eventuality, the SMC has in advance said that the election will be held next day. The last day for filing nomination is January 8, according to the SMC notification.
The re-election of the deputy mayor in SMC will be held for the first time since the municipal polls were held in 2018. Post resignation Imran was formally arrested after keeping him in detention for more then four months.
Imran’s party man and mayor Srinagar Junaid Mattu too faced the same action from councillors, but he passed the litmus test on the floor of the council.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz