Parvez Qadri wins Dy Mayor election
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, January 13
Parvez Qadri, an Independent councillor, was elected as the Deputy Mayor of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).
Backed by NC
Parvez Qadri was backed by the National Conference and secured 33 votes. The BJP-backed candidate, Arif Raja, got 24 votes and Nakul Mattu from the Congress got only seven votes, while four votes were considered invalid.
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The election was held on Monday at the SMC office. Former Deputy Mayor Sheikh Imran had resigned recently after the BJP moved a vote of no-confidence motion against him in which he failed to prove his majority and was forced to step down.
An official source in the corporation said Parvez Qadri, an Independent candidate, who won the Deputy Mayor election, was backed by the National Conference and secured 33 votes. The BJP-backed candidate, Arif Raja, got 24 votes and Nakul Mattu from the Congress got only seven votes, while four votes were considered invalid.
“Most of the councillors backed the Independent candidate. Even some Congress councillors did cross-voting and voted for him,” the source said, adding that Qadri was also supported by the People’s Conference.
Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu on December 26 appeared for a floor test and proved his majority as a number of councillors, supported by ruling BJP, had moved a no-confidence motion for his removal. The Mayor had accused the BJP of playing a game to get him removed.
The controversy at the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) was triggered in December after a number of councillors, who said they were 40 in number, including 4 councillors from the BJP, moved a resolution to remove Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu as they accused him of failing to work towards the “development of Srinagar city”.
Mattu, after the issue turned into a controversy, appeared for a floor test to prove his majority.
