Sajad Lone
Srinagar, Oct 21 (KNS): Former Deputy Mayor, Sinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Sheikh Imran on Wednesday accused administration of deliberately delaying SMC Mayoral elections.

According to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Imran said the post of Mayor had fallen vacant after a no-confidence motion was passed against former Mayor Junaid Mattu on June 16 this year. "According to the J&K Municipal Corporation Act 2000, Deputy Mayor of the SMC has to hold the charge till elections for new Mayor is held. It has been now near about a year and the elections for mayor have not been held in SMC yet", he said.

While expressing anger against government of not holding elections in SMC, he said when we can hold assembly elections in Bihar, we can plan panchayat ULB and municipal elections for vacant seats in J&K, we can announce historic DDC elections, in J&K then what stops government to delay or not to hold mayoral elections in SMC.

Imran further said the government run campaigns, like Janabhiyan and “My town My Pride, and huge gatherings were seen around, but cant have Mayoral elections because of Covid19, and it is justified and we are forced to believe and understand the same.
My town My pride was done without a Mayor with a huge gathering of corporators / councillors and general public but we can’t have Mayoral elections due to COVID, which is justified and we are forced to believe and understand the same. Every corporator / councillor aspired to have their elected mayor, he added. (KNS)