‘Election notification issued, stage set for high drama’
SRINAGAR: Mayoral elections in the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) will be held on July 14, a notification issued on Wednesday reads.
The announcement comes 23 days after the erstwhile Mayor Junaid Azim Mattoo lost the floor test and was removed from the post. The corporators had filed no confidence motion against the former Mayor (Mattoo) following which he failed to prove majority in the special session on June 16.
The notification for the elections of Mayor was issued by Secretary SMC under number SMC/CS/4300-4389, dated 08/07/2020
“In terms of Section 36 of the J&K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000 read with Rule 6 of J&K Municipal Corporation (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Regulations, 2005, the Election of Mayor, Municipal Corporation, Srinagar will be conducted as per the given notification,” the notification, a copy of which lies with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reads
“Forms of nomination paper shall be obtained from the office of the Secretary, Srinagar Municipal Corporation between 1100 hours and 1600 hours from 9th July 2020 to 10th July 2020,” it added.
“Nomination papers shall be delivered between 1100 hours in the morning and 1600 hours in the afternoon by a Candidate or his Proposer at the office of the Secretary, Srinagar Municipal Corporation on any day not later than 11th of July 2020”, the notification mentioned.
“Notice of withdrawal of candidature shall be delivered by a candidate at any time before the election is proceeded within the meeting. In the event of an election being contested, the poll will take place on 14th of July, 2020 from 1100 hours onwards,” it concluded.
Meanwhile, sources said that two candidates including the former Mayor Junaid Azim Mattoo and former Deputy Mayor Sheikh Muhammad Imran will be contesting the elections for the Mayor post.
Talking to KNO, Sheikh Imran said that a group of Corporators headed by Waheed Ahmad Dar has not taken any decision regarding the candidate.
“I have no mandate to speak anything in this regard. The decision to choose a candidate will be taken by the group,” he said.
Waheed Ahmad Dar, however, said that the candidate by a group of 42 corporators will be announced on Thursday morning. “The candidate has not been chosen yet,” he said.
However, the sources within the group said that they have already chosen Sheikh Imran as their candidate while the formal announcement will be made tomorrow.
Meanwhile, a close aide of Ex-Mayor Junaid Azim Mattoo said that former Mayor Mattoo will likely be contesting the elections for the post of Mayor again.