Shimla, June 21: After a three-decade wait the BJP on Tuesday scripted history as the RSS- backed nominee, Kusum Sadret, a Dalit councilor from the reserved Annadale ward, was elected as the 13th Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC). Another BJP-rebel, Rakesh Kumar Sharma, who won as an independent but re-joined the saffron party, was elected as the Deputy Mayor.
The Congress backed candidates not only lost the election for both the posts but also had to face embarrassment as one of their councillors cross voted in the Deputy Mayor election. It is after a span of over three decades, since the first elections to the SMC were held in 1986 that the BJP has gained control over one of the most prestigious and the oldest municipalities of the country.
The ecstasy of the elated party workers and leaders was more than visible as they danced along with their state president Satpal Singh Satti through the streets of the town. Baring the last five years when the SMC had a CPM Mayor and Deputy Mayor, who were elected directly by the electorate, the Congress maintained its control over the body since 1986.
Sadret, who will be the third woman Mayor of the town after Jeni Prem and Madhu Sood, defeated the Congress nominee Simmi Nanda, who had won from Nabha by polling 19 votes against 13 by her rival. Out of a total of 34 votes, 33 were polled as Summer Hill councilor Shelly Sharma (CPM backed) was absent while one vote was found to be invalid.
The waiting BJP workers and leaders broke into thunderous applause and sloganeering as Dr DK Gupta, Director, Urban Development and Local Bodies, who conducted the election proceedings, declared Sadret as victorious by six votes. BJP nominee Rakesh Kumar Sharma, who had won as an independent from Panthaghati ward, became Deputy Mayor, by defeating Congress nominee, Anand Kaushal, a three-time councilor from Tuttikandi ward by 20 votes to 13 votes, indicating that one Congress backed councilor crossed the floor in favour of the BJP.
For the Deputy Mayor’s election, 33 councilors cast their votes and all votes were found valid, said DK Gupta. He informed that Rakesh Sharma got 20 valid votes and Kaushal got 13 valid votes while the CPM backed councillor from Summer Hill councilor was absent. In a preplanned move, the RSS had fielded Kusum Sadret, wife of a RSS activist from Rohru for the post of Mayor.
The entire BJP’s rank and file, including the top brass worked overtime to ensure her victory considering that Mayor seat was reserved for the a SC woman. Sadret won by 299 votes defeating Congress and the CPM-backed candidates from the Annandale ward. Rakesh Sharma was forced to contest as an independent as he failed to get BJP backing but the RSS and a faction of the BJP put its might behind him as he won by a narrow margin of 45 votes.
“I was a BJP worker before and will remain as BJP worker as I never left the party”, Sharma said after his election. Shimla BJP legislator, a chief whip in the Vidhan Sabha, Suresh Bhardwaj said the BJP has scripted history by winning the MC polls and Mayor and Deputy Mayor will work together to serve the residents of the city.
Source Tribune India
