Janaid Mattoo seeks BJP support for re-election as Mayor

Srinagar:-With Srinagar muncipal corporation Mayor’s election scheduled on 16th July 2020,Ex SMC mayor Junaid Mattu has again turned to BJP for getting re-elected for the post.
Sources told Kashmir Press Service that Junaid Mattu held a closed door meeting with BJP leaders Ram Madhav, Jitender Singh and others who were in Srinagar to condole the death of slain BJP District president Wasim Bari who was recently killed by unknown gunmen along with his brother and father in Bandipora.
Sources said that on return from Bandipora, Junaid Mattoo held a closed door meeting with the BJP leaders and sought their support for getting re-elected for the Mayor’s position in Srinagar Muncipal Corporation.
Though the proceedings of the meeting were kept a secret but yesterday a BJP corporator from Basantbagh(ward35) came on social media and disclosed that BJP corporators are going to support Junaid Mattoo and claimed that it was a party decision.
In a vedio which is doing rounds on social media, the BJP corporator Nazir Ahmad Gilkar can be heard saying that Five BJp corpotators will support Junaid Mattoo in the upcoming election for the position of mayor. He also claimed that five more Independent corporators have also fallen in line and have been motivated to support Junai Mattoo.
If Gilkar’s claims are to be believed, it has become clear that Junaid mattoo has resorted to Horse trading and has also been trying to woo the corporators belonging to National Conference and congress.
Sources say that for last few weeks Junaid mattoo has been running from pillar to post and has been trying to go as close to NC and Congress as he could manage. “ NC and Congress had agreed to support Junaid Mattoo against Shiekh Imran, The former deputy Mayor of the Corporation who is considered as a strong candidate for the position of Mayor’’ Sources Said.
With Junaid Mattoo again falling into BJP lap, this needs to be seen if Congress and NC will support him as both the parties are in staunch opposition to BJP. Congress has already said that they will not support anybody who has a BJP backing.
As the results will come to fore on 16th July but analysts believe that it will be very difficult for Junaid Mattoo to get re-elected for the position of Mayor as most of the corporators are annoyed with Mattoo given his alleged callous nature.
In the meanwhile the former deputy mayor of the corporation has emerged as a strong choice for most of the corporators as he has a very good track record in the corporation.