Shimla: Much importance being attached to the civic poll here has pushed political parties to deploy legislators to man wards for ensuring victory of their candidates.
With the municipal elections being contested on party symbol basis for the first time, today BJP released a list of ministers and MLA’s and Congress also asked its MLA’s, ex-MPs and elected members of zila parishad’s to report of electioneering duty and have been assigned duties in the 25 wards that go to the polls on May 27.
“It is a crucial election,” says Satpal Satti, state BJP president let Hill Post know. “All important political leaders, which include cabinet minister, MLA’s and others have been given charge of campaigning in specific wards,” he added.
Being a Congress citadel since elections for the civic body were started in 1986, the party has much in stake this time to as it intends to make a positive result here a launch pad for dislodging the BJP government in the state.
State congress president Kaul Singh Thakur today released a list assigning poll duty in wards for 22 MLA’s, 9 ex MLA’s which include former ministers, 2 ex-MPs and others also. Leader of the opposition Vidya Stokes has been kept out of it.
While the two major parties up the stakes in the poll, spoiling the party for bi-polar contest is a rejuvenated left party CPI (M) that has turned the whole election into a triangular one as it has put up candidates in all the wards besides that for the mayor and deputy mayors posts.
With not many heavy weights to back the left candidates, the party has deployed its senior leaders state party secretary Rakesh Singha and Kuldeep Tanwar to draw an wedge in what was otherwise a polarized arena.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
