Parties begin fielding candidates for municipal polls

The party has announced the names of 21 of the 35 candidates who will be contesting the elections on May 15.

Party officials said more emphasis has been given to women and young candidates. Of the 21 candidates announced,eight are women,while seven are youths. “We believe in having a proper mix of experienced and fresh candidates,effecting a good balance. A lot of hardworking youths have come up in the party,and they have shown keen interest in solving problems faced by residents of the city,” a senior party official said.

The manifesto of the party will be released in the next three-four days,he added. “The party will work on general civic issues that the city is facing,besides the poor condition of the roads and problems faced by the residents,” the official added.

Other political parties are also gearing up for the elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to release its list of candidates by Thursday. A senior BJP party leader said the list has almost been finalised,and they will take a decision by Thursday.

“A lot of funds have been allocated to the MCG,but none has been utilised. The first priority would be to find out where the funds went,and why development has not been achieved. There are a lot of problems that the party intends to work on if it wins the elections,” Umesh Aggarwal,a senior party leader said.

The BJP is also likely to announce its manifesto in the coming days. The model code of conduct had come into force in the area after the election dates were announced.

The district administration has also appointed Additional Deputy Commissioner V S Hooda as the Returning Officer for the elections.

As many as 12 Assistant Returning Officers have been appointed to various wards of the MCG for a smooth conduct of the elections.