Guwahati: Mrigen Sarania, who was elected Mayor of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) from Ward No 29 of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been re-elected.
The Deputy Mayor will be Smita Roy, won from Ward No 22 also from BJP.
Former GMC Mayor Sarania was re-elected for a second term, claiming to be the most experienced councillor among the 58 new NDA councillors elected in GMC elections.
Sarania has served on the city council three times, including as mayor from 2016 to 2018. Following the departure of a councillor, the Congress, which had constituted the GMC executive body in 2013, lost its majority in the executive body, and the BJP seized charge.
According to a BJP insider, responsibility is assigned to a party worker after all factors are considered, including the person’s expertise. “Sarania is qualified for the position because he has already performed the duties of the mayor. He is also the party’s Guwahati district president,” the source stated.
Reports further stated that none of the 29 female councillors has the necessary expertise to assume the role of mayor. “For the first time, female councillors have won an election.” The party may pick a female deputy mayor rather than a mayor.
“I will take up the responsibility if the party finds me worthy of the job,” Sarania remarked when questioned about getting a job as a Mayor.