JMC Mayor
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Oct 26: Though no consensus has been evolved on appointment of Mayor for Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) by BJP which has got clear majority in the 75 members House, senior BJP leader and former Corporator, Chander Mohan Gupta has emerged as front runner for the post.
According to party sources, BJP State president, Ravinder Raina and former Deputy Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta held a separate one to one meeting with all 43 corporators of the party this afternoon at BJP Headquarters , Trikuta Nagar here to seek their opinion on the election of the Mayor. However, almost all Corporators, who met the party senior leaders during the meeting, made it clear that the decision taken by the party will be binding on them and they won’t object to it, sources added.
Sources said the party has framed a list of three probable candidates for the coveted post of the JMC Mayor but the party Corporator and its former treasurer, Chander Mohan Gupta has emerged as front runner for the post with the backing of some senior party leaders. Gupta, who has been elected from Ward No 33 and has defeated his nearest rival by margin of 733 votes is also in the good books of RSS leadership, sources added..
Among other, two BJP Corporators whose names were submitted to High Command for the post included BJP’s vice president and Bhawan Nirman incharge, Parmodh Kapahi who has won from Ward 14 by a margin of 627 votes and Jammu district president, BJP, Baldev Singh Billoria, who emerged victorious form Ward No. 56 with a margin of 55 votes. The name of the candidate, however, will be announced after the consent of the High Command which, sources said, will be given within some days.
Sources said former Mahila Morcha president of BJP Purnima Sharma who has been elected from Ward No 1 of Jammu East constituency with a margin of 455 votes over her rival candidate is likely to emerge as consensus candidate for the post of Deputy Mayor. Purnima Sharma, who was also a strong contender for the post of Mayor, however, has been convinced by the party leadership to accept the post of Deputy Mayor this time.
Sources said Kavinder Gupta has been pressing that the Deputy Mayor’s post be given to Gandhi Nagar Constituency in case the Mayor post went to Jammu West and he has suggested the name of a woman candidate from his constituency also in this regard.
Sources said while the party leadership is in favour of Purnima Sharma to be the Deputy Mayor, Kavinder is pressing that in lieu of it two Corporators from his Constituency should be appointed as the heads of two Committees out of four Committees which the Corporation has to constitute.
Sources said that the party leadership is in favour of appointing heads of two committees from the Gandhi Nagar Constituency one each from Damana and Marh Constituency to give proper representation to these constituencies also.
Sources said BJP is also in hectic parleys with other groups for constitution of Municipal Councils in Kathua and Udhampur as well as Municipal Committees in Nagri, Basholi, Billawar and Bhadarwah. It is in touch with some independents and members of other political parties too in this regard, sources added.
Sources said BJP has no hesitation in conceding the post of chairman in some of those municipalities to independents where it has very less numbers instead of giving Congress or NPP a free hand in heading those municipal committees or councils.
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