Secret ballot to elect Dharamsala Mayor, his deputy today

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 12

The newly elected councillors of the Dharamsala MC will take oath tomorrow. Sources say that the new Mayor and Deputy Mayor will also be elected tomorrow through a secret ballot.

The BJP has eight councillors, only one short of the majority to get its own Mayor and Deputy Mayor elected. The party claims the support of an Independent councillor, but leaders are still keeping their fingers crossed.

For the election, at least 13 councillors are required to be present in the House to complete the quorum. There are five Congress councillors and two Independents, who are party rebels. The two Independents owe allegiance to former Congress Mayor Davinder Jaggi. For the election to the posts, all Congress and Independent councillors are required to be present in the House.

The sources say that parleys are going on to ensure that all councillors remain present in the House tomorrow for the mayoral election. There is speculation that some Congress councillors may cross vote in the election to the post of Mayor to embarrass the ruling party. Since the ballot will be secret, it will be difficult to know who cross-voted and thus invoke the anti-defection law against him or her.

However, the secret ballot is also giving jitters to the BJP that has not declared its candidate for Mayor’s post so far. The sources say that the BJP may have to concede the post of Deputy Mayor to an Independent. There are many aspirants to the post of Mayor in the BJP, including former Deputy Mayor Onkar Nehria. Some old councillors have influence across the party lines and may align with others to secure the posts.

Meanwhile, CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri and former HPCC president Sukhwinder Sukhu were in Dharamsala today to device a strategy for the elections. They held meeting with the Congress councillors. The sources say that Jaggi’s group has informed the Congress leaders that they fancy their chances in the election.

They add that Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur is not taking any chances with the election. He has deputed leaders to ensure that the BJP wins the election.

BJP leaders’ keep fingers crossed

The BJP has eight councillors, only one short of the majority to get its own Mayor and Deputy Mayor elected. The party claims the support of an Independent councillor, but leaders are still keeping their fingers crossed.