Chandigarh MC election: Two former mayors on BJP final list

Two former mayors have found place on the final list of candidates announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday, just a day before the filing of nominations for the Chandigarh municipal corporations elections comes to an end.

Former mayors Davesh Moudgil (Ward 21) and Rajesh Kalia (Ward 26) are among the six people on the list, which also includes former councillor Saurabh Joshi (Ward 12), former senior deputy mayor Heera Negi (Ward 22), Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state general secretary Jasmanpreet Singh (Ward 32) and Usha (Ward 16), a social worker.

Former mayors Asha Kumari Jaswal and Raj Bala Malik don’t figure on the list. Both had expressed unwillingness to contest the elections.

“I had informed national general secretary Vinod Tawde about my decision this week. I am a two-time mayor. Now, it’s time to give chance to new people,” said Malik.

Malik’s last tenure as the mayor had seen major differences surfacing between her and BJP state president Arun Sood. The party councillors led by Sood had even boycotted a MC General House meeting called by her. Sood, who is also a former mayor, is not contesting the elections this time.

Resentment among some sections

Meanwhile, strong opposition to the ticket allotment has cropped up in some sections of the party.

On Friday, party’s OBC Morcha state president NR Mehra said: “We comprise nearly 27% of the population, but none of our office-bearers were given tickets. Even as we deserved at least nine seats, we had asked for only five. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving us due justice, then why is the local unit ignoring us?”

On their future strategy, Mehra said: “We are going to boycott the elections, and after discussions, take a call on whether to put up independent candidates or not.”

Kripanand Thakur, a district secretary and party member of over two decades, said: “After more than two decades of dedicated work for the party, I deserved a ticket now. I will resign from the party and file nomination as an independent candidate. People of Hallomajra are also unhappy with the party for bringing a Ram Darbar resident to stand here.”

Gurpreet Singh Happy, two-time sarpanch of Daria village who was also a member of the BJP’s national kissan morcha, had raised the flag of rebellion immediately after the announcement of the party’s first list on Thursday. In a show of strength, Happy had even held a public meeting of his supporters in the village.

Arun Sood also met him and tried to placate him, but Gurpreet stuck to his guns. “My wife filed the nomination as an independent candidate from Ward 9. I have not left the party but resigned from all party posts,” he said.

Congress faces rebellion too

In addition to a string of resignations by its office-bearers, the Congress on Friday saw many leaders leaving the party in protest against the ticket distribution. The party had come out with its first list of 30 candidates on Thursday while it is yet to announce its nominees from five wards.

Kamal Kumar, aka Yankee Kalia, from Bapu Dham Colony left the party to join the AAP. He will be contesting from Ward No. 3. Party’s organising secretary Heera Lal also joined the AAP and will contest from Ward No. 24.

Another Congress office-bearer, Rajinder Kaur Panag, who is the daughter of former mahila morcha president Bhajan Kaur Panag, joined the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party combine and will contest the elections from Ward No. 18. Senior Congress leader Ram Charan Gupta also criticised the party for ignoring him.

AAP poll campaign in-charge gets ticket

The Aam Aadmi Party election campaign in-charge, Chander Mukhi Sharma, will be fighting the MC elections from Ward No. 13. Sharma’s name features on the second list of six nominees released by the party on Friday.

Others on the list are Kamal Kumar (from Ward No.3), Nitika Kaushal (6), Jarnail Singh (8), Shadab Rathi (33) and JJ Singh (35). The party has announced 32 candidates so far, and only three tickets are left.

After the party came out with the first list of 26 candidates earlier this week, several office-bearers and workers had voiced opposition and some even threatened to fight the elections as rebel candidates. In the list, a number of people who had recently joined the party from Congress were given preference over the old members.

Only 79 nominations filed so far

With only a day left to file nominations for the Chandigarh civic body polls, only 79 candidates have submitted their papers with the election commission till Friday.

On Friday, mayor Ravi Kant Sharma kicked started the process for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by filing his papers. Two other BJP candidates — Anup Gupta (Ward 11) and sitting council3or Dalip Sharma (3) — also filed their nominations.

From the Aam Aadmi Party, election campaign incharge Chander Mukhi Sharma (Ward 13), Anju Katyal (22), Poonam Kumari (16), Ramchander Yadav (15), Jasbir Singh Ladi (21), Kuldeep Kukki (14) and Vikram Singh Pundir (30) filed their papers.

Among Congress candidates who filed their papers on Friday were party’s chief spokesperson Harmohinder Singh Lucky (Ward 2), former councillor Jannat Jahan (4), sitting councillor Ravinder Kaur Gujral (23) and Gurpreet Singh Gabi (34).

Filing of nominations ends on Saturday, while last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 9. The municipal corporation goes to the polls on December 24.