The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Prashant Singhal for the mayor election in Aligarh, a decision that surprised many.
Aligarh will go to polls in the second phase of the urban local body elections in the state on May 11.
Singhal, who submitted his papers on the last day of nomination filing on Monday, is mostly known as an industrialist than a politician.
The party, which won most mayor elections in the state in 2017, had lost to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Aligarh that year.
The BSP, meanwhile, replaced Mohammad Furqan, the outgoing mayor, with Salman Shahid, who had recently jumped ship from the Samajwadi Party (SP).
The SP was ahead of other parties in naming its Aligarh candidate. Jamirullah Khan, a two-time MLA from Kol assembly seat in the district, will fight the mayor election on behalf of the SP.
The Congress, however, unfolded its card at the very last minute and named Chandra Prakash Gautam, a seasoned party-man. The announcement was made by Brijlal Khabri, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president.
In 1995, months after the upgradation of Aligarh from nagar palika to nagar nigam, the first mayor election was held in the city.
{{/usCountry}}In 1995, months after the upgradation of Aligarh from nagar palika to nagar nigam, the first mayor election was held in the city.
{{/usCountry}}Singhal was in the ticket race in 2017 as well, but the party decided to go with Dr Rajeev Agarwal. Although he is not an office-bearer in the party cadre, Singhal is known to frequent RSS events in the city. He filed his nomination paper in the presence of former minister and sitting Barauli MLA Thakur Jaiveer Singh.