Darbhanga, Nov. 11: Barely six months before the scheduled election to the top post of Darbhanga Municipal Corporation (DMC), Gauri Paswan has been elected the new mayor of the civic body.

Gauri beat his lone opponent Santosh Kumar by 11 votes in the voting held at DMC auditorium today. Forty-five out of total 48 ward councillors cast their votes, while three chose to abstain from the process. Twenty-eight councillors voted in favour of Gauri.

The post of DMC mayor became vacant after a no-confidence motion was successfully moved against the former civic body chief, Ajay Paswan, on October 15 this year. Several ward councillors told The Telegraph that the former mayor lost his post because of his “problems” with Darbhanga BJP MLA Sanjay Sarawagi.

Gauri was elected as the councillor of ward number 16 for the first time in 2007. Even though he has barely six months before a new mayor is elected, Gauri is not willing to take it easy. He told The Telegraph that cleaning roads, drains and installing streetlights would be given utmost priority.

“There are many challenges before the Darbhanga Municipal Corporation at this point. There are a number of works to be done, including cleaning of roads, drains and installation of streetlights. The next election of the civic body is only six months away but we have a lot of work to be done so that the promises that were made before the previous elections are fulfilled,” Paswan said.

“We are working hard to rent out the shops that have been constructed in front of CM Science College but have been lying unused for the past two years. There are many areas in the town that are facing the problem of waterlogging and we are trying to work on that front as well,” he added.

Sources in the DMC said former mayor Ajay and town MLA Sarawagi used to fight over petty issues, which led to the former’s removal and the subsequent election.

Ajay alleged that the BJP MLA interfered in the day-to-day work of the civic body.

He openly vented his ire against the MLA after his defeat during the no-confidence motion.

The sources added that Ajay had alleged that Sarawagi had assured several ward councillors that roads would be constructed under their jurisdiction just three days before the no-confidence motion was supposed to be moved. They added that the move was aimed at ensuring Ajay’s ouster in the no-confidence motion.