Second British-Indian joins London mayoral race

London may get its first Indian-origin mayor with finance and property broker Shyam Batra announcing his intent to run as an independent in the May 2024 election. 

Batra (62) is the second British-Indian to throw his hat in the ring after investment banker Tarun Ghulati in the fast-growing group of contenders for this year’s election, looking to unseat Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is seeking re-election as a Labour candidate.

A resident of Uxbridge in west London, Batra told a UK news channel that he did not see himself as a “party political candidate”, but rather as someone who “just wants to fix London and give people a voice”.

Like Ghulati, his main priority, if elected, is to abolish the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) as well as the congestion zone and 20mph speed limits.

“I drive an old car and now when I drive into London I have to pay congestion and Ulez charges. It is a joke. You should not be charged for driving in your own city,” he told the news channel.

Some of his other priorities include tackling the cost-of-living crisis and improving housing issues by introducing “a finance scheme to get everyone on the property ladder”.

Stating that he is “passionate” about making London a better place, Batra said: “I know what the general public think and want because I am one of them. I am fed up with myself and if I am mayor I won’t take any nonsense.”

Ghulati’s eco-friendly intentions

On the other hand, another contender Tarun Ghulati has said that he comes from a country where toxic air is a big issue, and wants things to be “greener and more effective” in the British capital. 

Ghulati is an India-born investment banker, standing as an independent in the 2024 London mayoral election.

“I certainly come from a country where toxic air is a big issue and I believe we should work towards making things greener and more effective,” Ghulati, who expects to be polling ahead of the Liberal Democrat and Green candidates within six weeks, told a newspaper.

Having lived in London for more than 20 years, the 63-year-old said he wants to completely scrap the Ultra low emission zone (ULEZ), remove the congestion charge on weekends and abolish low traffic neighbourhoods.

According to Ghulati, hindrances to cars, such as road-blocks in low traffic neighbourhoods, were in fact contributing to pollution by causing vehicles to stand still and emit fumes.

Calling ULEZ unfair, he said wealthy Londoners can easily afford the 12.50-pound daily charge for non-compliant vehicles, while those on lower incomes are deterred from using their cars.

His other priorities include increasing police presence on the street and building more police stations in areas where there is a high crime rate.

The 2024 London mayoral election is scheduled to be held on May 2, and will take place simultaneously with elections to the London Assembly and local elections across England and Wales.

Sadiq Khan, who has been the Mayor of London since 2016, is seeking re-election as the Labour candidate.

So far, a total of 12 candidates have reportedly declared that they will be running for the job, which includes Conservative Susan Hill, Liberal Democrat Rob Blackie, Reform UK’s Howard Cox, Green Party’s Zoe Garbett and Social Democratic Party’s Amy Gallagher.

While Mayoral elections are traditionally held every four years, voting was last held in 2021 instead of 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It will be the first time the election will use the first-past-the-post system.

Mayoral elections are traditionally held every four years.

However, voters last went to the polls in 2021 rather than 2020 as the election was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

(Compiled from IANS)

-Edited for style

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