Jammu is all set to get a new Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) before Diwali festival as both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress party candidates filled their nomination papers on Monday.
As per sources, the election is scheduled to take place through open ballot on October 21.
Accompanied by former Mayor and other senior leaders both Rajinder Sharma , Councilor from New Plot and Baldev Singh Billowria from Gangyal filed their nominations and expressed confidence about sweeping the polls.
The posts fell vacant last month following the resignation of incumbent mayor Chander Mohan Gupta and his deputy Purnima Sharma, both from the BJP, to focus on strengthening the party ahead of next Assembly elections scheduled to take place after the conclusion of ongoing Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls.,
Dwarka Nath Choudhary and Sonika Sharma of Congress submitted their papers for the two posts before the JMC secretary on the last day of the filing of nominations.
JMC has 75 corporators out of which two have expired, so 73 will exercise their franchisees on October 21. Total 37 votes are required for winning the election while BJP enjoyed an edge having 44 members in the 75-member. However one corporator Vijay Choudhary had expired. Congress has 13 corporators and the rest of the members are independents.
“We have been chosen by the party to serve the people and we will work sincerely and to the best satisfaction of the public,” Rajinder said after filing his papers.
Meanwhile, Congress nominees opposed the open ballot and requested the secretary to ensure voting by secret ballots only.
Gupta and Sharma took over their respective posts on November 15, 2018 after the BJP swept the prestigious JMC during the Urban Local Bodies elections which were held in four phases from October 8-16 in 2018 after a gap of 13 years. The corporation is completing its five year term next year
