MC polls: Cong’s Devinder Jaggi is Dharamshala’s new mayor
DHARAMSHALA : The opposition Congress has retained the Dharamshala municipal corporation (DMC) top post, with outgoing deputy mayor Devinder Singh Jaggi being elected as the new mayor unopposed.
Election for the civic body’s top posts was necessitated as Jaggi and outgoing mayor Rajni Vyas completed their tenure.
Anticipating a sure defeat the BJP’s top brass, including the local legislator and consumer affairs minister Kishan Kapoor, refrained from interfering in the election.
Jaggi became the unanimous choice for the new mayor as no nomination was filed against his candidature while two of the BJP councillors boycotted the election. Though the seat was reserved for the scheduled tribe (ST) category, it was declared open as ST population in Dharamshala town is less than the required 15% to fulfil the reservation criteria.
Onkar Singh Nehria, who won the deputy mayor’s post has also hinted towards leaving the BJP. He polled nine votes, against 6 polled by his rival Swarna Devi, to win the deputy mayor’s post.
Sources said Nehria was present at a dinner party hosted by Congress national secretary and former minister, Sudhir Sharma, on Sunday.
When asked about leaving the BJP, Nehria said, “I did not leave but the party abandoned me.” He added there was no election related instruction from the party and even as he was contesting, two of the party councillors shied away from voting.
Kishan Kapoor could not be contacted for comments. However, BJP block president, Ramesh Atwal, said the party had decided not to interfere in polls.
Meanwhile, congratulating the newly elected mayor and deputy mayor, Congress’s Sudhir Sharma, said they would take the town on path of progress. HTC