Cong MLAs’ wives eye Jalandhar Mayor’s post

The MC election will again be a BJP-versus-Congress contest. Both had won from 19 wards each in the 2012 poll, but the saffron party retained control of the House as its ally, the SAD, emerged victorious from 14 wards.

The Municipal Corporation of Jalandhar (MCJ), which saw its first election in 1992, has had three Mayors from the BJP and two from Congress. With Congress MLAs Sushil Rinku and Rajinder Beri fielding their wives, the city is likely to get a woman Mayor. Both candidates are set to win easily from “safe” wards falling under constituencies represented by their husbands.

The local BJP has so far filed over four complaints of police harassment with the Election Commission of India. The police booked over 15 BJP leaders, including district president Ramesh Sharma, candidate Ravi Mahendru and the husbands of five women candidates, for causing “public mischief” outside a police station on December 13.

While the BJP is crying foul over the illegal detention of two of its leaders, the police are accusing the saffron party of creating a ruckus outside the police station.

Jalandhar made it to the Smart City list in 2016, but the project is yet to take off. The plan to develop the city as a sports hub of north India remains a distant dream. Among its achievements, the SAD-BJP alliance is listing the road sweeping project, allotted at a cost of Rs 97,000 per km, and the makeover of Company Bagh.

Wards: 80
Reserved: SC/ST: 11
SC/ST women: 14 
Women (General): 28
BC: 2

Candidates 305 
Cong: 80
SAD: 29 
BJP:        51
AAP: 47 
Independents: 98

Rachna Khaira