Upset over ‘snub’, Chandigarh BJP councillor Satish Kainth files papers as Independent

The rebel candidate claimed, “As many as 36 communities had sent in a memorandum to party leaders, including BJP chief Sanjay Tandon and party affairs in-charge Prabhat Jha about their choice for me as Mayor. I don’t know why Kalia was chosen over me. Caste-based politics should not be done. “

He said in the meeting with Jha Sunday, nine councillors of the BJP had mentioned his name but claimed that the majority’s voice went unheard.

Jha said, “The party has announced its official candidate. He (Kainth) will withdraw his nomination. Last year, Asha Jaswal too had withdrawn her nomination and he will also do the Earlier with the Congress party, Kainth, 46, first contested the MC election in 2006 from ward 23 comprising Ramdarbar, Hallomajra and Faidan village against BJP candidate Ram Lal but had lost.

In the corporation elections of 2011, he contested from ward 20 comprising Sector 29, Industrial Area Phase-1, Sanjay Colony and Colony No 4 and won the polls. In 2015, the councillor however switched to BJP citing “ideological differences with Congress” and contested the 2016 MC polls on BJP ticket, winning from ward 11 (53 (Nehru Colony),54,55 (Housing Board), 55 Indira, Kamal and Adarsh Colomy, Furniture Shops Sector 56, Rehablilitation Colony Palsora and Village Palsora ). He has served as Deputy Mayor twice in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.

A Cass XII pass from non-medical stream and son of a tailor, Kainth was in news for wrong reasons in 2016 in a case pertaining to an alleged land-grabbing case.

In 2016, he served three months in jail after a Faridabad-based woman alleged that the councillor had illegally occupied her five-marla plot in Hallomajra. The councillor went absconding the run after the complaint was made in March and surrendered in June. The issue was, however, settled after a compromise was reached.

Asking if he would change his decision to contest, he said, “I will not withdraw my nomination at any cost. I am confident of my win as I have support of several councillors with me, from BJP too even if they are not coming out openly. Moreover, I have been deputy mayor twice and I know how to run the corporation. “

Last year, when BJP declared Davesh Moudgil as its Mayor candidate, fellow councillor Asha Jaswal filed nomination as an Independent. She later withdrew the nomination after the party urged her to.