Thirty eight Councilors of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Tuesday moved a no-confidence motion against Srinagar Deputy Mayor, Parvaiz Qadri.
The Councilors made the move against Qadri barely two days before the Corporation is scheduled to hold polls for mayoral post on July 16.
“We have received a no-confidence motion against the Deputy Mayor. It has been signed by 38 Councilors,” said SMC Secretary, Akbar Sofi.
He said the motion was accepted under rules and a proper receipt was handed over to the Councilors who submitted it.
He said that a notification for holding a special session of the General Council for conduct of floor test of the Deputy Mayor will be issued shortly.
Presently, the Mayor’s post is vacant and under rules Deputy Mayor performs functions of the Mayor and business of the SMC Council.
Qadri was elected Councilor from downtown area as an independent candidate. However, he joined National Conference later.
He was elected as Deputy Mayor on January 13 this year. The SMC has called on special session of general council on July 16 this year for holding polls to the post of Mayor.
Sofi said the notices to inform about holding the special session have been sent to all 70 Councilors.
On June 16 Junaid Azim Mattu was removed as Srinagar Mayor after 40 of 41 Councilors voted against him during the floor test.
The SMC has strength of 74 members. However, there are only 70 Councilors at present while four seats are vacant.
It is mandatory that more than half of the Councilors should be present to make the quorum to take up business of general session on July 16 when the Council will go for election to Mayoral post.
Earlier, three no-confidence motions were moved in the SMC since the body was formed in 2018.
On June 11, an independent Councilor moved the no-confidence motion against the Mayor.
This was the second such motion moved against the Mayor in less than six months. In December 2019, a no-confidence motion was moved against Mattu, which was supported by the BJP.
However, the Mayor successfully proved the numbers during the floor test that time.
On 23 December 2019, Deputy Mayor, Sheikh Imran was removed from the post after he lost the floor test, with majority of Councilors voting against him. Both of them have filed nomination papers for the mayoral post.