BJP eyes Srinagar Mayor post

As Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) is reportedly moving a non-confidence-motion against Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Mayor and his deputy, the Kashmir unit of the saffron party has filed a case against the deputy mayor for allegedly threatening one of its corporators.

Sources said BJP district Srinagar office bearers have filed a case at Rajbagh Police Station, here, against deputy mayor Sheikh Imran for allegedly threatening its corporator from Lal Chowk ward. Imran is undergoing detention along with dozens of other political leaders since August 5 when the Center revoked J&K’s special status under Article 370.

“Deputy Mayor has contacted our corporator from his mobile phone. How is he using a mobile phone?” BJP’s district Srinagar president, Arif Majeed Pampori, told reporters.

Pertinently, the BJP, with the support of some independent corporators, is reportedly gearing up for no-confidence motion against the SMC Mayor Junaid Matu and his deputy Imran. Both Matu and Imran belong to Peoples Conference (PC) led by Sajjad Lone.

However, SMC Mayor Junaid Mattu claimed the support of 45 out of 60 corporators. “There is no question of any threat to the mayor or deputy mayor. BJP has just four corporators,” he said.

While Lone was a minister on BJP quota in the erstwhile PDP-BJP government from March 2015 to June 2018, it seems the separatist-turned-mainstream leader is drifting away from the saffron party. Lone hogged the headline in November 2014 when he called Prime Minister Narendra Modi as ‘Bada Bhai (elder brother) after meeting him in New Delhi.

After the fall of Mehbooba Mufit government in June 2018, speculations were rife that Lone was BJP’s choice for the coveted post of Chief Minister of the erstwhile state. “However, as the new political formation could not take shape and the Assembly was dismissed by the Governor in November 2018, Lone has since lost the confidence of the BJP top brass in Delhi,” sources told DH.

“His being part of ‘Gupkar deceleration’ signed by most of the top mainstream political leaders of Kashmir hours before the center revoked Article 370 on August 5 didn’t go well with the BJP top brass in Delhi. The establishment in Delhi also lost trust on Sajjad after he sided with soft-separatism plank adopted by the National Conference and the PDP leadership,” they revealed.