Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Srinagar, November 6: Majority of the proxy candidates fielded by
National Conference and People’s Democratic Party leaders’ in Srinagar Municipal
Corporation elections on Tuesday threw surprises by voting favor of Peoples Conference
candidate Junaid Azim Mattu and elected him as Mayor of the corporation.
Mattu secured 40 votes while Congress
candidate for the mayoral post Ghulam Rasool Hajam got 26 votes in the
74-member SMC, Commissioner of the civic body Peer Hafizullah told media.
Out of 53 independent candidates, over 25 candidates voted
in favor of Junaid Azim Mattu while as 3 to 4 congress candidates also indulged
in cross-voting and voted in favor of PC-BJP candidate, highly placed sources
told Early Times.
Sheikh Imran was elected as the deputy
mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation after majority of independents including
PDP-NC proxies and some congress candidates voted in his favor.
Prior to Mayor Election, Sheikh Imran
was assured support by top PDP and NC leadership. “Besides congress, 30 independent
candidates assured support to Sheikh Imran,” an insider told Early Times few
days ago.
He revealed that Independent candidates
were putting up in a hotel located in Nishat area of Srinagar City.
Confusion started brewing up in
congress camp after the party to brass started projecting Ghulam Rasool Hajam,
who had joined congress, mayoral candidate.
“Eight candidates didn’t accept it and
raised objections fallowing which Srinagar based congress leader summoned all
sixteen candidates and written examination of candidates were held at the
leader’s residence,” claimed sources.
They said that Nakoul Mattu topped the
examination by securing 92 points while as Ghulam Rasool Hajam secured 50 and
an another candidate secured 42 points.
Nakoul Mattu, who spoke to Early
Times, however said that it was an informal interview and that his name figured
in the panel after interview of the candidates was held.
“It wasn’t written examination but was
informal interview fallowing which three names including mine, figured in
panel,” he said.
According to sources, on Tuesday at
least four congress candidates indulged in cross-voting and voted in favor of
PC candidate Junaid Azim Mattu against directions of congress party.
PDP MLA who backed at least 10 candidates also directed his candidates
to vote for PC candidate while as NC Youth leader also directed his candidates to
them to help his friend Junaid Azim Mattu by voting in favor of former NC
leader.
Congress candidates, who spoke to Early Times, blamed Tariq
Ahmad Karra. “He has hijacked party. On election day he didn’t come out to vote
and prior to that he distributed tickets among those who were not even the
members of congress party,” they said
They said that earlier this month he ‘interrogated’ congress
candidates by asking them questions and seeking details of education qualifications.
“He sought details of our education qualifications, asked as questions as if we
were IAS aspirants,” they claimed.
Congress candidates alleged that Karra by-passed party
President Ghulam Ahmad Mir and conducted all meetings at his residential house.
“He claimed that he got support of PDP as well of all the independent
candidates of Sheikh Imran but all his claims proved hoax,” they added.
They claimed to have approached top congress leadership and
were expecting action.
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