Pakistani-origin London Mayor Sadiq Khan is facing stiff competition in his bid for a third term. His closest challenger, in the polls to be held on May 2, is Conservative candidate Susan Hall. What actually makes the London mayoral race interesting for Indians is a Delhi-born entrepreneur, Tarun Ghulati, who is among the 13 challengers.
An Independent candidate, Tarun Ghulati, has trained his guns on both Sadiq Khan and Susan Hall.
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“There is a growing belief that the current incumbent [Sadiq Khan] has lost support and another major party contender [Susan Hall] is considered very uninspiring by the voters,” said Ghulati.
He said that Susan Hall, the main challenger, was “part of the problem” because she was on the committee that made the policies that “took London years back”.
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The topmost on his list of attacks is obviously Sadiq Khan.
“You are unbelievably ‘SAD’ with IQ missing. You only make promises and never fulfil them. Why were you waiting for the third term to correct your mistakes of two terms. Give Londoners a break from your falsity. Focus on your book and take us off your hook,” Tarun Ghulati posted on X, sharing a video of Sadiq Khan.
Ghulati calls himself a “proud Hindu”.
“Being a person of Indian origin, I wear that as a badge of honour. It is a matter of pride for me. I am a proud Hindu. But I believe in the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. My upbringing in India, the cultural traditions have helped me in my journey across the world. I view London as a global bank. It is a place where people come in for opportunities and growth, and different cultures thrive,” said Ghulati in an interview with ANI.
“As Mayor, I will build the balance sheet for London such that it is a premiere choice for investments, safeguarding safety and prosperity for all its residents” Ghulati added.
Ghulati is one of the two Indian-origin candidates. The other being real estate entrepreneur Shyam Batra.
Shyam Batra, a 62-year-old finance and property broker from Uxbridge, West London, is running for London mayor.
Batra did not see himself as a “party political candidate”, but rather as someone who “just wants to fix London and give people a voice”, reported BBC.
SUSAN HALL TRAILING SADIQ KHAN BY NARROW MARGIN
Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate, is the one who is giving the toughest fight to Sadiq Khan, and is trailing by just 13 percentage points.
According to the poll conducted by the Conversation states that if the election were to be held tomorrow, 46% of the vote would go to the Labour Party candidate (Khan) and 33% to Hall.
This 13-point lead is much smaller than the 20-point leads Khan had in polls from March and early April.
People who plan to vote for Hall in the London mayoral election are mainly concerned about crime, immigration, and the National Health Services (NHS).
While those supporting Khan prioritise the NHS, inflation, and the cost of living and housing.
It is interesting to note that both the candidates have a similar agenda, i.e., the NHS, which becomes the vote-motivating issue in common for London people.
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