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This is an archive article published on January 15, 2019

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. “

Upset over ‘snub’, Chandigarh BJP councillor Satish Kainth files papers as Independent Satish Kainth (centre) while filing his nomination at the municipal corporation office Monday. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

The Chandigarh unit of the BJP faced a revolt Monday when a councillor, Satish Kainth, filed nomination for the post of Mayor as an Independent against the official candidate of the party. This time, the seat is for the reserved category. After he got know that BJP councillor Rajesh Kalia was officially announced as the party’s candidate, an upset Kainth went to the Municipal Corporation building with two other councillors to file the nomination papers.

He was supported by BJP Councillor Farmila, who was also initially in the race for the post of Mayor and Independent councillor Dalip Sharma.

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. “

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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 Last year, Asha Jaswal too had withdrawn her nomination and he will also do the Earlier with the Congress party, Kainth, 46, first contested the MC election in 2006 from ward 23 comprising Ramdarbar,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.

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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.

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express, Chandigarh. She covers Chandigarh administration and other cross beats. In this field for over a decade now, she has also received the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award by the President of India in January 2020. She tweets @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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