75 candidates vie for mayoral posts in five municipal bodies

NOMINATIONS OVER Papers to be scrutinised today and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is Dec 8; election results will be declared on Dec 19

IT IS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HARYANA THAT THE VOTERS WILL DIRECTLY ELECT THEIR MAYORS

CHANDIGARH: As many as 75 candidates have filed their nominations for the mayoral posts in the five municipal corporations (MCs) going to polls on December 16.

Thursday was the last day for filing nomination papers by the candidates.

While the papers would be scrutinised on Friday, the last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 8. The poll results would be declared on December 19.

It is for the first time in the state that the voters would directly elect their mayors unlike in the past when the elected corporators of the civic body elected the mayor. The five MCs going to polls are – Hisar (20 wards), Rohtak (22 wards), Yamunanagar (22), Panipat (26) and Karnal (20).

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) are contesting these elections on party symbol, the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have decided not to field candidates on party symbol, but to support suitable candidates.

The polls hold significance as they will be a precursor to the forthcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections due next year.

As many as 24 candidates will vie for the mayoral post in Hisar, followed by Yamunanagar with 16 candidates and Rohtak with 13 candidates.

Eleven candidates each have filed their nominations in Karnal and Panipat. As many as 458 candidates filed their nominations for corporators’ polls in the said MCs.

Besides, the elections to five MCs, two municipal committees — Jakhal Mandi (13 wards) in Fatehabad district and Pundri (13 wards) in Kaithal district — are also scheduled to be held on December 16 in Haryana for which as many as 118 candidates have filed their papers.

BJP’S GAUTAM SARDANA FILES PAPERS IN HISAR

Meanwhile, BJP’s Gautam Sardana filed his nomination papers for the mayoral post in Hisar in the presence of state BJP chief Subhash Barala and local MLA Kamal Gupta.

Meanwhile, Rekha Aren, who enjoys the support of former minister Savitri Jindal and Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi, filed her nomination papers as an independent candidate.

Barala said, “There is a disarray in the Congress, which is shying away from contesting local body elections on party symbol. There is no coordination between former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar.