Cong replaces candidate,BJP ‘rebel’ resigns

Today was the last date for withdrawal of nominations and the election will be held on June 27.

Dr Satya Pandey,who was the official candidate of the Congress,“withdrew” her nomination this afternoon and Shiri Wadhawan,wife of former mayor Ravi Wadhawan,was “unanimously” declared the party-supported candidate.

Shiri will not get the party symbol as she had filed nomination as an independent. The SP and BSP have already decided not to allot party symbols to anyone.

District Congress president Shyam Krishan Pandey said: “The party was divided on the name of Pandey. Since the party high command has also directed all concerned to consider the views of the local sitting MLA in deciding candidates,we went with the view of Anugraha Narayan Singh.”

The MLA had vehemently opposed the candidature of Dr Pandey,who was the nominee of state Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi. The “unanimous resolution” to support Wadhawan was signed by her too.

Shail Tanaya,who held the post of secretary in the state BJP,today resigned and decided to contest as an independent. “Winning or losing is not my concern. Devoted hard workers in the party are being sidelined,while people with much less experience are being given precedence,” she said. The party has decided on Dr Kamla Singh as the official candidate.

For the SP,the choice is still not clear. The district unit said it has decided to support Jamunotri Gupta,who lost to Joshi in the 1995 mayoral election. However,the supporters of other candidates said the district unit was not authorised to do so.

SP’s district unit in-charge Pandhari Yadav said: “There has been no official confirmation on the name of the candidate to be supported by the party. However,since the district unit was asked to propose a name,we sent the name of Jamunotri Gupta.”

City-based SP leader Vinod Chandra Dubey,whose wife Anju Dubey has filed nomination,said: “The party’s circular was clear. If the workers in an urban local body agreed to one name,only then will the party support it. This is not the case now. We are contesting.” The other two aspirants — Suman Srivastava and Sudha Singh — had the same view.

SP spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhary said: “The final decision will be taken after the picture becomes clear following withdrawal of nominations.’’

BSP-supported candidate Abhilasha Gupta,wife of former cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta “Nandi”,has begun canvassing.

SC nod for holding municipal polls in UP

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday gave its nod for holding municipal polls in UP but agreed to examine a plea opposing reservation of posts of chairperson of civic bodies for members of Scheduled Castes,Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. A bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and J S Khehar,which refused to put a stay on the four-phase elections,said the polls would be held subject to the outcome of the petition before it.