Junaid Azim Mattu is an Indian politician from Jammu and Kashmir. He is a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, and was Mayor of Srinagar till November 2023. He is head of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Youth Federation as President.[1]
Junaid Mattu | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Srinagar | |
| In office November 2020 – November 5 2023 | |
| In office 2018–2020 | |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party |
| Other political affiliations | People's Conference (2010 - 2014), (2019 - 2020) National Conference (2014 - 2019) Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (2020-present) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Life edit
Junaid Azim Mattu was born in Srinagar in a politically active family. His grandfather Ghulam Ahmad Ashai was a founding member of Sheikh Abdullah's Muslim Conference party, later renamed to National Conference.[2]
Mattu studied at the Burn Hall School in Srinagar and the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla. He graduated in Business and Finance from the Michigan State University and worked as a financial analyst in the United States for some time. He returned to Jammu and Kashmir in 2009 to be part of "change and empowerment".[2][3]
Political career edit
Mattu joined Sajjad Lone's People's Conference party in 2009 and served as the Srinagar district president for the party. In 2013, he switched to the National Conference party and served as its spokesman.[2] He switched back to the People's Conference before contesting the Srinagar municipal corporation elections in 2018. An alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the People's Conference apparently won 40 seats many of the winners contesting as "independents".[3][4]
Mattu was elected as the Mayor of Srinagar on 6 November 2018 with 40 votes from corporators, beating his closest rival of the Indian National Congress with 26 votes.[5] He aimed to develop the BJP-People's Conference alliance as a 'third front' in the Kashmir Valley in competition with the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party.[3]
In June 2020, he was removed from the position of Mayor of Srinagar after losing a no-confidence motion.[6] However, in November 2020, he was once re-elected as Mayor of Srinagar with a 2/3rd majority.[7]
Mattu, in November 2020, joined Altaf Bukhari led Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party.[8][9] In February 2021, he was appointed as the President of Jammu and Kashmir Apni Youth Federation, which is youth wing of Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b KNS. "Apni Party Constitutes Youth Wing". www.knskashmir.com. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ a b c Junaid Mattu’s journey from Financial Analyst to Srinagar Mayor, The Kashmir Walla, 6 November 2018
- ^ a b c In Srinagar, Ram Madhav pushes for the third front, The Hindu, 9 November 2018.
- ^ BJP makes gains in Valley as Congress sweeps Leh in Jammu and Kashmir local polls, Hindustan Times, 21 October 2018.
- ^ Junaid Azim Mattu is Mayor of Srinagar, The Kashmir Walla, 6 November 2018.
- ^ "Junaid Azim Mattu loses no-confidence motion, removed as Srinagar mayor". Press Trust of India. The Hindu. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
- ^ "Junaid Azim Mattu Returns As Srinagar Mayor, 6 Months After He Was Removed". NDTV. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ "Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu joins Apni Party". The Tribune India. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ "Newly elected Srinagar's mayor Junaid Azim Mattu joins J-K Apni Party". Yahoo News. Retrieved 28 November 2020.