No-confidence vote against Mayor brings to fore emerging political alliances

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 17

Even as J&K People’s Conference (JKPC) spokesperson Junaid Mattu was voted out as the Srinagar Mayor on Tuesday, the no-confidence motion against him brought to the fore emerging alliances in the Union Territory.

The JKPC led by Sajad Lone who in the past served as a Cabinet minister from the BJP quota, is now cosying up to the Congress that has the highest number of councillors in the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). At the same time, coming together of the BJP and National Conference (NC) councillors to bring down the Mayor too has raised eyebrows.

While blaming the BJP and NC for ‘co-authoring’ the no confidence motion against him, Mattu said their alliance with the Congress was evolving. “The JKPC and INC alliance (two largest parties in the SMC) is evolving and is based on the goal of stability and shared ideological values,” he said.

Though the Congress remained non-committal to the alliance, Pradesh Congress Committee president GA Mir said its councillors abstained from the no-confidence motion against Mattu due to the ‘secular character’ of the party.

And while the overtures of the BJP and NC drew eyebrows on the social media and NC chief spokesperson Ruhullah Mehdi termed it “bizarre”.

“Some bizarre speculations are doing rounds on the social media regarding taking sides with the BJP in the SMC. The NC support to the BJP in any shape and form is unimaginable and out of question,” he said.

Though the NC expelled four of its councillors yesterday for participation in the no-confidence motion, Mattu said the NC ensured the success of the exercise.

“I’m aware of the mathematics of floor strategy in such motions and the participation of NC was deliberate, elaborately planned and conceived….the record needs to be set straight about the JKNC’s exclusive and facilitator’s role in ensuring the success of the BJP-engineered, orchestrated and backed no-confidence motion,” Mattu said.