open view web desk

Srinagar 06 November: Former National Conference leader Junaid Azim Mattu, was elected Mayor of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Tuesday and while as Sheikh Mohammad Imran , an independent candidate is elected as Deputy mayor by winning from one vote.

Mattu quit his party to contest the urban local body polls and was fully supported  by the BJP and the Peoples Conference

According to Peerzadah Hafizullah , Commissioner SMC , Mattu gained 40 votes while Ghulam Rasool Hajam , The Congress candidate for the post got 26 votes out of 74-member SMC.

Mattu was an Independent candidate from four wards, winning from three of them and was announced as the mayor candidate with in few hours by  Sajad Gani Lone , Peoples Conference chairman, after the election results were declared on October 20.

Lone played a main role in accumulating support for Mattu’s election along with PDP MLA and influential Shia leader Imran Raza Ansari . While Sheikh Imran who has been elected as the deputy mayor, was an independent candidate from Nishat ward no 3 gaining votes and won a seat for himself.

Earlier, Congress emerged as the single largest party in the SMC with 16 seats but fell short of 38, the number of seats required to achieve mandate.

The Peoples Conference had four, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had five candidates elected to the corporation. There were 53 Independent corporates.

However, The two mainstream Political parties, NC and PDP boycotted the election over the issue of Article 35-A, which provides special powers to the state legislature with regard to permanent residents of the state.

KNB