BJP braces up to dethrone Mayor, Deputy Mayor

Srinagar, Dec 16: BJP is all set to anoint its own Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) after the party engineered a coup to dethrone Junaid Azim Mattu and Sheikh Imran from their coveted posts.

BJP, which has just four members in SMC, is banking on the rebel corporators to replace Mayor and Deputy Mayor.  Party sources said they have managed to rope in enough corporates to reach the majority mark of 36 in the 70 member SMC.

“We were actually receiving complaints from corporators against lack of development in their wards. We asked them to unite so that we have our own mayor and deputy mayor who could perform better,” said a BJP leader.

Sources said BJP high command has deputed Kashmir in-charge Sunil Sharma to talk to corporators before submitting no confidence motion against Mattu and Imran

“Sharma held a meeting with corporators at an undisclosed location recently. He was trying to sense the mood before submitting no-confidence motion against Mayor and Deputy Mayor. More than 44 corporators reposed faith in the party,” said the leader.

Sources said party high command is going to take a final call about the candidates for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.   “We want a Mayor and a Deputy Mayor who actually can work for the development of Srinagar. Even proxies of Congress and National Conference want them to be removed,” they said.

 Last week, the party filed a case against Deputy Mayor for “threatening” one of the corporators Wajahat Ahmad. “He was threatening corporator because his counterparts in SMC were expressing desire to dethrone Mayor and Deputy Mayor,” a senior BJP leader said.

BJP’s Kashmir in-charge Sunil Sharma admitted that many corporators met him last week and expressed desire to oust Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

“I regularly visit Kashmir since I am in-charge of Kashmir. Some corporators came to my office and complained against Mayor and Deputy Mayor. I asked them that it was their mandate. I have no role to play,” he said.