Shimla, June 9: The Municipal Corporation’s June 16 elections will be a triangular contest with as many as 126 candidates from the Congress, the BJP and the CPM remaining in the fray for the 34 seats. However, the CPM has sprung a surprise by naming its mayor candidate — Sonia.
She is contesting from the Krishna Nagar (SC reserved) seat, which has nine candidates in the fray. The CPM has named its mayor candidate despite the fact that the elections are being held indirectly this time in which the elected councillors would elect the mayor, a post which is reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) woman candidate.
On the other hand, the Congress and the BJP have not named the mayor candidate. Both parties are pleading that they will weigh options when the elected councillors join the MC House after the election results on June 17.
But the CPM termed the Congress and the BJP as two sides the same coin. “When they can name the chief ministerial candidate in advance, what holds them from naming the mayoral candidate, who is capable of running the country’s oldest civic body,” said Tikender Panwar, former Deputy Mayor.
The ruling Congress and the BJP have come out with the list of candidates in 34 wards even as the candidates are contesting the polls on non-party symbols. There were more than 15 wards which face “rebels”, revealed insiders.
Out of the 154 candidates who had filed their nominations, 28 withdrew their nominations leaving 126 in field to contest the polls. “Local BJP and Congress leaders, who are ticket-seekers for the Shimla (Urban), Shimla (Rural) and Kusumpati, face a difficult situation as to whom to support as they may face opposition in the state Assembly polls if they annoy the rebels,” said workers from both parties. District election officer-cum-DC, Shimla, Rohan Chand Thakur said 28 candidates out of 154, who had filed nominations, withdrew their nominations yesterday.
Source Tribune India
