BJP’s mayoral candidate Anu Kakkar and the same of Congress Anita Sharma filed their nomination papers along with their supporters at the district collectorate on Monday. The nomination filing process started on the day, a day after the principal parties-BJP and Congress-had announced the lists of the candidates. After the nomination filing process was over, the leaders of both the parties said that they would emerge triumphant at the election.

The former Chief Minister and MP from Haridwar Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘NIshank’ who was present during the nomination filing process said that Anu Kakkar would win the election hands down. The State cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik was also present during the nomination filing process.

Though the ruling BJP showed up a united face on the day despite the party reeling under severe bout of factionalism schism surfaced in the Congress over the party list announced by the State Congress brass.

Giving a jolt to the party preparing for the crucial urban local body election, the district women Congress president, Kiren Singh, had resigned from the party on Sunday and posted her letter on Facebook. “I apologise but I am also resigning mainly because of the former legislator Ambrish Kumar,” she had stated. She had, further, said that she had been forced to resign despite her active association with the party for 18 years. Despite the development casting its shadow, the district Congress leaders sought to put up a brave face and claimed that the party would win the election with the support of the common people who have got disenchanted with the misrule of the BJP-helmed Government both at the Centre and in the State.

Kiren Singh had alleged that a section of the party leadership has been indulging in a vulgar kind of factionalism and ignoring those who have served the party and the State over the years. She had, further, predicted defeat of the candidates the party leadership has zeroed on for Haridwar and Shivalik Nagar elections.