Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has asked local Congress leaders, including the Faridabad MP and MLAs, to unanimously decide on the name of the candidate for the post of Mayor of the Faridabad Municipal Corporation (MCF). Congress leaders, including local MP Avtar Singh Bhadana and MLAs, had met Hooda with the names of the candidates of their choice.Haryana minister Shiv Charan Sharma, who won as an Independent from the NIT Assembly constituency, said the local leaders would shortly finalise the candidate. Hooda declined to intervene in the matter, saying that local leaders should solve the issue themselves. Haryana Congress organising secretary Gulshan Baggar said he had asked Hooda to choose a Punjabi candidate for the post.Those elected in the 35-member House of the MCF include 11 Gujjars, seven Punjabis, six Brahmins, three Jats and six SCs, most of whom are from the Congress. The post has been made open this time. Punjabis and Brahmins are rooting for members of their community. Punjabis say there is no MLA and minister from their community in Faridabad, and thus a Punjabi should be chosen.
Most of the non-Gujjars appear to be against the idea of selecting a Gujjar, as the post was held by Brahmvati Khatana, a Gujjar, in the last House. Also, members of the Gujjar community had been holding the post for the past 10 years. President of the Faridabad Congress Committee BR Ojha, however, said the focus should not be on caste and community, rather on the merit of the prospective candidate.
Even as the race hots up for the post, all eyes are on Congress leader Mukesh Sharma, who has been elected the councillor along with his mother Maya Sharma. Mukesh, who is considered as the seniormost leader, is Shiv Charan Sharma's son.
Source: The Tribune By Ravi S Singh Mayor's Post: Hooda Leaves It To Local Leaders
