The state government’s decision to reserve the mayoral seat in Rudrapur and Kashipur municipal corporations has dashed the hopes of general category aspirants.
The government has reserved the mayor’s post in the Rudrapur municipal corporation for a scheduled caste (SC) woman, while the seat in Kashipur municipal corporation has been reserved for a woman from the other backward classes (OBC).
The two municipal corporations came into existence in 2013. The mayor’s seat in Rudrapur and Kashipur municipal corporations was then kept reserved for a scheduled caste and an OBC woman respectively.
Many general category aspirants for the post were optimistic that this time the government may change the reserved status in the two municipal corporations. Hoping that they may get a chance to contest the elections, they had spent lakhs of rupees on publicity. Many of them had also conducted canvassing in their areas and sat on dharnas to woo the voters.
However, they are now disappointed after the government’s recent decision.
“I was preparing for election (of mayor) for the last two years. My supporter had Installed flexies for the publicity, made voters and included their names in voter list, but every effort went in vain,” said Anil Chauhan, a BJP aspirant from Rudrapur.
Uttam Datta, another aspirant from Rudrapur, said, “I am in politics for more than 20 years and was planning to contest the mayoral election from Rudrapur this year. In 2008, I could not contest the chairman’s election because the seat was reserved for woman, and in 2013 on elevation from municipality to nagar nigam, mayoral seat was reserved for scheduled caste woman. This year, the reservation for scheduled caste candidate again has prevented me from contesting the election.”
{{/usCountry}}Uttam Datta, another aspirant from Rudrapur, said, “I am in politics for more than 20 years and was planning to contest the mayoral election from Rudrapur this year. In 2008, I could not contest the chairman’s election because the seat was reserved for woman, and in 2013 on elevation from municipality to nagar nigam, mayoral seat was reserved for scheduled caste woman. This year, the reservation for scheduled caste candidate again has prevented me from contesting the election.”
{{/usCountry}}Left in the lurch after the government’s decision, many general category aspirants have similar views in Kashipur also.