Former Corporator from ward number 16, New Plot Jammu, Rajinder Sharma was on Friday elected as new Mayor of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC).
He defeated Congress’ Dwarka Nath Choudhary. While Sharma was polled 57 votes, Choudhary was polled only one vote. One vote was rejected as a total of 59 votes were polled for the Mayor’s post.
For Deputy Mayor’s post, of total 58 votes polled, BJP’s Baldev Singh Baloria got 56 votes while two votes were rejected. No vote was polled for Congress’ Sonika Sharma.
Pertinently, in the 75 members’ corporation, there are 73 corporators as two of them have passed away. The strength of BJP corporators in the corporation is 44 while Congress has 13 corporators and rest of them are independents.
Congress boycotts polls
The Congress party that has 13 corporators in the Jammu Municipal Corporation, boycotted the polls against open ballot system of polling.
Addressing media persons in the premises of Jammu Municipal Corporation, Congress’ Mayor candidate Dwarka Nath Choudhary said: “we’ve decided to boycott the polls against BJP’s move of conducting elections through open ballot system of polling”.
“Last time, the polls were conducted through a secret ballot system. But since BJP leadership was worried about cross-voting by its own corporators as it happened in Udhampur and Kathua, the party deliberately amended the laid down law and changed the system of polling to ballot system. This is undemocratic,” he said.
“If the polls would have been conducted through a ballot system, we could have won both Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts,” he added.
Raina congratulates winners
Soon after the elections were over, BJP State President Ravinder Raina congratulated the winners.
Addressing media persons, Raina said that the landslide victory of BJP candidates in Mayor and Deputy Mayor polls is an indication that people love Bhartiya Janata Party.
“These polls are an indication that BJP is an indomitable force in Jammu region. We’re pretty sure that in the coming Assembly polls, BJP will form a government on its own in Jammu and Kashmir,” Raina said, adding, “next Chief Minister would be from BJP”.
Replying to a question about Congress’ boycott of the JMC polls, he said, “Congress party has been completely decimated in the country. As such, there is no fun discussing this party”.
Meanwhile, Ravinder Raina congratulated all the corporators, especially the independent corporators.
