Raja, Surinder lead mayoral race

Aparna Banerji/Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 18

With a record number of women candidates having won the MC elections from Jalandhar this year, the murmurs of a woman being chosen as a mayoral candidate for the Municipal Corporation (MC) is gaining the ground. Meanwhile, the social media was abuzz with debates over the next Mayor.

With MLA Rajinder Beri already having indicated that a woman mayor might not be the Congress’ favoured pick (he isn’t even keen on his own wife Uma Beri – third time councillor — for a mayoral candidate), Beri and his wife’s support lies with firebrand councillor and last tenure’s Leader of the Opposition, Jagdish Raja. Rajinder Beri said, “I have announced my support much before the municipal polls. Raja can lead the House as he is a veteran and is connected to the roots of the civic society. He understands the needs of area residents and how to get them done.”

Among male contenders, four-time winner and ward 45 councillor Balraj Thakur is another top contender.

While among women councillors, MLA Sushil Rinku’s wife Sunita Rinku, backed by her husband, has already expressed her desire to be the Mayor. Meanwhile, the senior-most women Congress councillor (ward 39) Surinder Kaur, a four-time winner, is too in the race. Other women contenders include three-time winner Jagdish Raja’s wife Anita Raja and councillor Aruna Arora.

According to MLA Bawa Henry, the new Mayor has to be experienced and should be non-corrupt. “It is unfortunate that the earlier House was run in the most uncivilised manner. We as Congress MLAs will ensure that it should be run in the most civilised way. The new Mayor may not be highly qualified but he should feel the pulse of the residents to look after their concerns,” he added.

Jagdish Raja

Former Leader of the Opposition, Raja has been vocal in taking up various key development issues with the former BJP mayor. Known for his robustness, Raja has won the MC polls in 1991, 97, 2002, 2012 and 2017. While he is also Congress MLA Rajinder Beri’s favoured candidate, sources said Raja would be the wisest choice from the Congress given his political acumen and ability to take up key issues. Raja said he would go with whatever the decision the high command takes regarding him.

Balraj Thakur

It is the fourth consecutive win for Balraj Takur from his ward. Joining the Congress in 1993 as a panchayat member – then a resident of Khurla Kingra — Thakur contested his first elections as councillor in 1997. He also won in 2002, 2007 as well as this year, which is his fourth win. While Thakur has been very vocal in raising the key issues associated with the MC, also highlighting various scams from time to time, the key issues he intends to address in his ward number 45 are completion of roads, provision of all civic amenities and the building up of a sports hub for Mitthapur, which has had a history of producing sporting talent. He also plans to develop the Shaheed Darshan Singh Stadium into a sporting hub. “I shall go with whatever the decision the party high command takes. The party’s decision will be final,” is what he said.

Surinder Kaur

Ward number 39 candidate Surinder Kaur is among the top contenders if a woman is chosen for the position of Mayor. Having been chosen by to contest from her ward in 2002 after the demise of her husband Chaudhary Ram Asra who was elected councillor for the ward in 1997, Surinder Kaur won the MC elections for the fourth time this year — earning her way into the hearts of the electorates. While Kaur leaves the decision of choosing the mayor to the high command, she is confident of doing a good job if chosen as the first woman Mayor of the city.

She says, “I come from a family where my husband and my father-in-law, all have been working for the benefits of people all their lives. I shall do the same for the ward, if elected.”

Anita Raja

Wife of Jagdish Raja, Anita Raja (50) has won the MC elections in 2002, 2012 and 2017. She had won from ward 49 which was previously ward number 36. While she has also been the deputy mayor from 2007 to 2012. She says she is the strongest contender according to her husband. Somewhat on lines with the statement made by party MLA Rajinder Beri some days ago, Raja said, “Women candidates should be elected as mayors but clearly among these in the reckoning, the male contenders have much more experience and are much more capable as far as it concerns getting people’s works done. So I think a male councillor should be made the mayoral candidate.”

Sunita Rinku

Elected from ward 42 for the second time, Sunita Rinku, wife of MLA Sushil Rinku, had indicated recently that she was keen to head the MC House. However, she maintained today that since the decision was vested with the party high command, she had no say on the matter, nor was keen for the post. “The candidate for the post of Mayor isn’t selected by vote. The decision vested with the party high command. We don’t have a say in it. The party looks into many factors like capability and experience. Currently I am not in a position to make any claim on this. It’s the high command’s decision,” she said.