Kartikeya Sharma, the BJP-JJP-supported independent candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections, might be able to hold the polls for deputy and senior deputy mayors of the Ambala municipal corporation (MC) after two years.
Shakti Rani Sharma, the newly elected lawmaker’s mother, is the mayor of Ambala and belongs to the Haryana Jan Chetna Party (HJCP). There are 20 members in the House, including eight members from the HJCP and eight from the BJP.
Councillors of both parties maintained a back and forth over the past five House meetings, making accusations of corruption and improper utilisation of funds against each other.
On Sunday, councillors and BJP workers congratulated Kartikeya at his Ambala residence after he won the election. He and his mother also met his father, former Union minister and HJCP president Venod Sharma.
A press conference was also scheduled for Venod here on Sunday, but it was canceled due to an apparent health issue.
Sandeep Sachdeva, the BJP’s nominated councillor, said, “Now that Kartikeya has won with the backing of CM Khattar, we are looking forward to their support in the elections for both posts that are due to take place in a month or two.”
There are also two members of the Congress and two of the Haryana Democratic Front, which was merged with the Aam Aadmi Party, though the members have not yet switched sides.
BJP, JJP, and two other nominated members are also members of the House, but they do not have the right to vote.
In addition, HDF councillor Rubi Souda, who is a suspect in a murder case, was openly supported and represented by Sachdeva in order to preserve her membership, possibly to gain her vote for the BJP.