Jamshedpur: Industrial satellite Adityapur is gearing up for its first municipal polls this April 16, which also happens to be the state's first civic polls to be held on party lines.

The process of Adityapur civic polls for a five-year-term has begun, with parties naming mayoral and deputy mayoral nominees. Once results come in, Adityapur Municipal Council, which the state government had notified as a corporation in July 2016, will become Adityapur Municipal Corporation with a mayor, deputy mayor and ward councillors.

On Tuesday, BJP announced names of Vinod Srivastava and Bobby Singh, both builders, as its mayoral and deputy mayoral contenders. Srivastava's wife Rita had earlier chaired Adityapur Municipal Council. They are likely to file papers on Wednesday.

This apart, RJD member Purendra Narayan Singh, Ajsu Party member Sachin Kumar Mahto and Independent Yogendra Sharma alias Munna Sharma filed papers for the post of mayor. The JMM and the Congress have so far not made any announcements.

"Filing of nomination papers started from March 16 and will continue till Thursday. The last date to withdraw nomination is March 27. Polling will be held on April 16," Radha Sandil, Adityapur Municipal Council chairperson, said.

Sandil said once Adityapur civic body became a municipal corporation it would get more funds to develop the township with a population of over 2.5 lakh across 32 wards, of whom over a lakh are eligible to vote.

Voters of Adityapur are divided on the concept of politicised civic body elections.

"Elections on party lines seem to be all about money and muscle power," said an Adityapur man. "Honest people stand no chance."

S-Type area resident Satyendra Narayan Singh told this paper many felt Adityapur's most suitable mayor would be NGO Jan Kalyan Morcha president Om Prakash, but he did not belong to a political party. Resident Ratanlal Modi said Adityapur might get more funds for civic amenities if BJP candidates were elected. "Maybe these civic polls on political lines are a good thing," he said.

More BJP nominees

East Singhbhum BJP chief Dinesh Kumar Sahu on Tuesday named Anup Sultania, Nikhat Parveen, Meenakshi Patnaik and Sandhya Rani Sardar as the party's nominees for civic polls in Chaibasa, Kapali, Seraikela and Chakulia.