No cakewalk ahead for new Mayor

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 19

City’s new Mayor Rajesh Kalia has his hands full with several contentious issues, including implementation of the Street Vendors Act, waste segregation project and tackling infighting within party councillors confronting him.

Setting a stage for his party (BJP) through city’s development and as a first citizen will also be a task for him ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“We will take all along and ensure development of the entire city,” said the new Mayor. Implementation of the Street Vendors Act has remained on paper. Traders are angry over non-implementation of the Act. Striking a balance between vendors and traders to implement the Act will be a challenge for him. “We will talk to all stakeholders so that it can be worked out,” he said.

The burning issue of segregation of wet and dry garbage, which had waste collectors up in arms against the Municipal Corporation earlier, will be another task cut out for Kalia, who as a councillor had led the protest.

The collectors wanted to segregate waste on their own to make money by selling the items. “I am not against door-to-door waste segregation. But it should not take away the livelihood of common workers,” he said.

In view of the factionalism coming wide in open during these mayoral polls, he will have to face a tough time keeping the flock of party councillors together in taking decisions. At least five BJP councillors had voted against him.

From a ragpicker to UT’s first citizen

Kalia has studied till Class XII. Before entering into politics in 1984, he would pick rags at the Dadu Majra dumping ground with his father.

He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1984. Thereafter, Kalia got active in politics. He is said to have helped the BJP in the city’s Municipal Corporation elections in 1996. Following this, the BJP gave him a chance to contest as a councillor in the MC elections in 2011 from Dadu Majra. However, he was defeated by the Congress candidate in his first-ever elections. In his second attempt in the 2016 MC elections, Kalia was elected as the councillor from Ward No. 7.

During his tenure, he had been a controversial councillor. He had a spat with the former Medical Officer of Health, PS Bhatti. He even sat on the floor during the House meeting seeking Bhatti’s removal. He was also a part of the protest by garbage collectors when the MC decided to takeover waste collection from independent collectors in the city.

Kalia had several cases, including assault and a cheque-bounce case, against him. The party claimed all cases had been cleared. Before being elected as the city Mayor, the civic body had attached his salary in a cheque-bounce case according to a recent court order.

The challenges

• Striking a balance between vendors and traders to implement the Street Vendors Act will be a challenge.
• He will have to face a tough time keeping the flock of party councillors together in taking decisions.
• The burning issue of segregation of wet and dry garbage, which had waste collectors up in arms against the Municipal Corporation earlier, will be another task cut out for Rajesh Kalia.

What worked for him

Among four reserved candidates, Kalia was the choice for the Mayor’s post due to a huge vote bank of Valmiki voters here. There are around 1.27 lakh Valmiki votes in the city. The BJP wants to encash the same ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. His other major factor was his proximity to city BJP chief Sanjay Tandon. Sources said he could convince MP Kirron Kher as well.