The Chandigarh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen to field a candidate who figures in the list of Union Territory Police’s bad characters for the upcoming mayoral election on January 18, ignoring a woman councillor who is also the most educated amongst the four Schedule Caste (SC) members who have make the cut for the reserved post of mayor this year. Advertising Inspector Chiranji Lal, stationed at the Malaya police station, confirmed, “BJP candidate Rajesh Kalia’s name figures in the list of bad characters and he is under watch for a year.” In the BJP versus BJP mayoral battle this year, both Kalia and Satish Kainth, who had filed nomination as an Independent, have one thing in common a police record. While Kalia has been convicted in two cases, one for causing grievous hurt in 1998, for which he remained in jail for a month, and another for gambling ? Kainth had spent three months in jail in 2016 for allegedly grabbing a widow’s plot in Hallomajra. Explained Will city get tainted mayor this time? One of the most modern cities of India with a literacy rate of 88 per cent, Chandigarh appears set to get a mayor with a police record and a degree just till Class 12, BJP’s choice of Rajesh Kalia as its official candidate despite his previous convictions may worry an educated and enitrely urban electorate. Kalia was also at the forefront of the agitation against the municipal corporation move to take over waste collection and segregation, plunging the city into a garbage crisis late last year. Farmila, the woman councillor, said that she had become “a victim of bad politics within the party.” “I considered myself capable for the post, but the fact is that while choosing the candidate, the party considered only the large chunk of Valmiki votes, especially in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. That is why Kalia was chosen,” said Farmila addin”, “Being a woman, I could have focused on issues concerning the women of the city. Chandigarh is a city of literate people and being educated, I could have lived up to their expectations.” But she hastened to add that she had no intention of going against her party and could only convey her protest. While Farmila is a graduate, the other three BJP SC councillors — Kalia, Kainth and Bharat Kumar — had dropped out after Class 12. Farmila said this “will not help the party in the coming Lok Sabha elections.” When asked why the party hadn’t chosen a councillor with a clean record despite having an option, BJP chief Sanjay Tandon said this is not any issue. “The party has done due diligence in selecting the candidate.” Rebel candidate Kainth stated that he will challenge BJP nominee Kalia’s councillorship as the latter” had “concealed facts pertaining to his criminal record” in affidavit, while filing nominations in the 2016 Municipal Corporation elections. Kalia did not respond when contacted. Sources said BJP chief Tandon and Member of Parliament Kirron Kher tried to persuade Kainth to withdraw his nomination, but he did not rele”t. “I will not withdraw my nomination. I will win as I have sufficient support,” Kainth said. Some members of the Dalit community also held a press conference accusing the BJP of maligning the image of Dalits by fielding Kalia for the post of the mayor. While addressing mediapersons, they demanded that the party should choose another candidate from the Valmiki community. Advertising A mayor is elected from amongst the elected representatives in General House. To become a mayor, a candidate needs 14 votes out of 27. Nine nominated councillors do not have voting rights. One vote is that of Member of Parliament Kher who is the ex-officio member of the House.

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