Former National Conference spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu was elected the mayor of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation on Tuesday, Greater Kashmir reported. Mattu had resigned from the party in September after its decision to boycott the local body polls in the state. He contested as an independent candidate.
Mattu was elected with support from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the People’s Conference, PTI reported. Srinagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Peer Hafizullah said that Mattu received 40 votes in the 74-member civic body. The Congress’ mayoral candidate Ghulam Rasool Hajam secured 26 votes. Four votes were declared invalid.
Mattu contested the polls as an independent candidate from four wards. People’s Conference Chairperson Sajad Gani Lone announced him as the mayoral candidate after the election results were declared on October 20.
While the Congress with 16 seats emerged as the single largest party in the civic body, it fell short of the 38 seats needed to run the corporation. Four candidates of the People’s Conference and five of the BJP were elected as well. The others were independent candidates.
The National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party had boycotted the local body polls demanding the Centre clear its position on Article 35A of the Constitution, which provides special status to Jammu and Kashmir and has been opposed in the Supreme Court.
While filing his nomination papers on November 2, Mattu said that his aim was to deliver on the “promise of a developed, clean and progressive Srinagar”.
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