It’s BJP versus BJP for Mayor’s post

Ramkrishan Upadhyay   

Tribune News Service   

Chandigarh, January  17    

With rebel candidate Satish Kainth  refusing to withdraw  his    nomination despite efforts  by senior leaders of the BJP, the election for the post of Mayor has become a major challenge for the ruling party.  

 Though the Congress has fielded  a candidate for the  post of Mayor, the real battle is likely to be witnessed  between the  BJP’s  official  candidate,  Rajesh Kalia,  and  Satish  Kainth, who filed his nomination as an Independent defying the party’s decision. 

Of the 26 elected councillors, the BJP has a majority in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation with 20 councillors. However, the infighting has  made the election interesting. The  BJP also has the support  of an SAD councillor. Member of Parliament Kirron Kher also has a vote  being an ex officio member of the House. The Congress has only  four  councillors, one councillor is an Independent.

To become the Mayor, a candidate needs 14 votes of the 27. This time,  the nine nominated councillors do not have the voting right. With two of the candidates  from the BJP, cross-voting cannot be ruled out. The Congress has not revealed  its plan yet. Pradeep Chhabra,  president  of the  Chandigarh  Congress,  said the party would decide its   strategy tomorrow.

Though the BJP  leadership  today convinced  one  of the   two  rebel  councillors, Farmila, to  support  Kalia,  Kainth  is adamant on fighting the election. Kainth said most  BJP councillors were not in favour of Kalia,  who  had  a criminal past. The  BJP held  a meeting of  all councillors  today at the  party  office, Kamlam, and told them to ensure Kalia’s  win. Kirron  Kher and Dinesh  Kumar, organising secretary of the  party, also  attended the meeting. BJP councillor Farmila had signed the  nomination papers of Kainth as the proposer. However, her decision to  support  Kalia at the last moment has  provided a huge   relief  to the  BJP  leadership. Kainth met Kirron Kher today, but nothing came out of the meeting. Former Mayor Arun Sood expressed the hope that Kainth would withdraw his nomination tomorrow in favour of Kalia.

Independent candidate Dalip Sharma, a former BJP member,  has already  extended  his  support to  Kainth.

This time, the  BJP has  given the post  of Senior  Deputy Mayor to its ally SAD, which has  fielded  Hardeep  Singh, while Kanwarjeet    Rana  has been fielded  for the post of Deputy Mayor. Nominated councillor Ajay Dutta has been designated as the presiding officer, who will hold  the  election at 3 pm. 

The elections for the post of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be  conducted  by the newly elected Mayor. The Congress has fielded Sheela Devi as its candidate for the post of Mayor. For the post of Senior Deputy Mayor, it has fielded Gurbax Rawat, while for the post of Deputy Mayor, it has fielded Ravinder Kaur.

Gives Post to ally

This time, the  BJP has  given the post  of Senior  Deputy Mayor to its ally SAD, which has  fielded  Hardeep  Singh, while Kanwarjeet    Rana  has been fielded  for the post of Deputy Mayor.

Know the candidates  

Rajesh Kumar Kalia (BJP) 

He represents Ward  7  in the MC. He was elected to the House for the first time in the 2016 elections. He had lost the  first MC election on the BJP ticket from Dadu Majra in 2011.  His “involvement in criminal  cases” has been  highlighted recently, but he has claimed he has been given a clean chit in all cases.    

Satish Kumar Kainth (BJP rebel)

He represents Ward 11  in the  MC. He won the election  in 2011  on the Congress ticket and was made the Deputy Mayor twice, in 2012 and 2013. However, he joined  the  BJP  in 2015  after  he  developed   differences  with the  Congress leadership.

Sheela Devi, Congress   

She represents the  MC from Ward 5. She has  been elected to the MC twice  earlier  and is a senior member of the  Congress.