The National Conference (NC) on Tuesday expelled four of its corporators for defying the party whip during the Srinagar Municipal Corporation voting in which the mayor Junaid Azim Mattu lost the no-confidence motion supported by 42 votes among the 70 councillors of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).
While the NC and the Congress had asked their members to abstain during the voting process for the no-confidence motion which was supported by the BJP, these four corporators had participated in today’s voting and even voted against the sitting mayor, Junaid Azim Mattu.
” Four corporators of the NC including Neelofar, Danish Bhat, Majid Shulloo and G.N. Sofi were expelled for defying the party whip to abstain from the voting process in the SMC, ” said the statement issued by the NC.
NC had announced and directed it’s Corporators to abstain from participating in No Confidence motion in SMC. The four corporators out of our 11 who voted in this vote of no confidence are hereby expelled from the party. They are GN Sofi, Neelofar, Danish Bhat and Majid Shulloo.
— JKNC (@JKNC_) June 16, 2020
Earlier, the National Conference vice president and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah had made it clear that in no case his party would go along with the BJP during the voting process against the Mayor.
These four NC corporators had participated in Tuesday’s voting and voted against the sitting mayor, Junaid Azim Mattu.
As per the reports, the dissidents against Mattu were led by former SMC Deputy Mayor, Sheikh Imran.
Junaid Azim Mattu belongs to the Peoples Conference led by Sajad Gani Lone, a former minister.
The BJP had a strength of 27 members in the Municipal Corporation had said that the party would indirectly support the vote against Mattu.