June 16 date for mayor poll

TT, Siliguri, June 6: The municipal affairs department has written to the Siliguri Municipal Corporation commissioner asking him to hold the mayoral election on June 16.

The letter signed by a joint secretary of the municipal affairs department reached SMC commissioner S.W. Bhutia today.

“We have been asked to hold elections for the post of mayor on June 16. Today, we will issue a notice to all 47 councillors, mentioning the poll. Nominations for the mayor’s post should be submitted by 1pm on June 14,” Bhutia said this afternoon.

Any councillor is eligible to contest for mayor. The councillors would have to elect him or her.

Sources said it was unlikely any councillor will field a candidate for the mayor’s post.

“Neither the Congress, or the Left, or Trinamul, has the majority strength of 24 the 47-seat SMC. The Congress has walked out and there is virtually no chance of its return,” the source said.

“The Left has said several times it will not vie for the mayor’s post. Trinamul will not join the board for only three-four months. The board’s tenure ends in September this year.”

In case neither party puts up a candidate for mayor, the state government will appoint an administrator to run the SMC.