BJP supported councilor Virender Bhatt has been elected new Mayor of Mandi Municipal Corporation (MC) while Madhuri Kapoor has been elected Deputy Mayor in the house of fifteen with BJP supporters having a strength of 11 against four Congress supported councilors.
The election of Mayors and Deputy Mayors are being held after two and half years term after the election for four MCs for rotation of Mayors and Deputy Mayors in Himachal Pradesh.
Virender Bhatt is a four time councilor from Purani Mandi ward and was Deputy Mayor while Madhuri Kapoor is a first timer . Both were elected unanimously as Congress supported councilors did not contest the election for the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Though local Congress leaders were trying to create a wedge between the BJP supported councilors but former CM Jai Ram Thakur, local MLA Anil Sharma managed to keep their supporters united. The BJP leaders had also met over a dinner last Friday night to decide the candidates of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
However, former President of Mandi Nagar Parishad and District President of BJP Manila Morcha Suman Thakur, a BJP supported councillor, did not participate in the election held on Saturday to express her resentment to BJP leadership.She was a strong aspirant for the post of Mayor and lobbying hard for past several days .
The proceedings of the election were conducted by ADC Mandi Nivedita Nagi.
