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| SAC approves election of Mayor, President for municipal bodies through secret ballot | | Chances of horse trading likely come down across Jammu & Kashmir | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 31: With the State Administrative Council (SAC) approving the election of Mayor for Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and President of different municipal councils and committees across the state through secret ballot there are chances that horse trading would stop in such matters.
As the picture with regards to election of Mayor for SMC is somewhat unclear the approval of Municipal Laws is likely to pave the way in this regard. This development assumes significance since the independents have decided not to join any political party more so the election of Mayor for SMC is yet to be carried out.
"The councilors of the different municipal bodies in the state can easily vote for their favourite candidate as and when the elections for Mayor, Deputy Mayor or President are held. As such there is no need for the political parties to go for horse trading for getting their own person elected on the important positions," said sources. Sources said that since independent candidates are in majority in many of the municipal committees and councils in the state along with SMC the proposal of introduction of secret ballot for election of Mayor, Deputy Mayor or President would ensure that the influence of money factor is minimized in this whole exercise.
"The concept of horse trading is no less than a scar on the democratic ideals of India and same needs to be avoided at any cost. One can hope that the loyalty of a councilor is not put to market and these people stick to their integrity when it comes to electing a person who would head the municipal body of his or her particular area," said sources. Although, the picture is clear with respect to JMC where the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) is in majority it remains to be seen as who would be the new Mayor of SMC. Candidates like Junaid Mattu and Sheikh Imran who are said to be favourites for the post of Mayor are independents and it remains to be seen as who would support them as and when the elections for Mayor of SMC are announced. The SAC which met at Jammu today under the chairmanship of Governor, Satya Pal Malik approved "The Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018" paving the way for election of Mayors and Deputy Mayors of the Municipal Corporations and Presidents and Vice Presidents of the Municipal Councils/Municipal Committees through secret ballot. The SAC meeting was attended by Advisors, B B Vyas, K Vijay Kumar, Khurshid Ahmed Ganai and Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam. An official spokesman said the decision, in this regard, has been taken in order to remove the anomalies between the provisions of the Municipal Acts, after their amendments through the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2010 and relevant Regulations/Bye-laws framed in the year 2005 under the original Act of 2000. |
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