PIO confirmed as Leicester mayoral candidate for Conservatives

London, April 9

A British-Indian city councillor has been chosen as Conservative party's mayoral candidate for Leicester, which witnessed communal unrest last year, for the upcoming local elections in May.

Sanjay Modhwadia, city councillor for North Evington, will be up against Sir Peter Soulsby, who has held the role since it was created 12 years ago, the BBC reported.

Modhwadia, who has sat on the council since October last year, was elected to represent his ward after a by-election result that had Conservatives taking their second of the 54 seats on the council.

He is a local businessman who campaigned on supporting the city's textile factories and has pushed for a Made in Leicester brand to help boost the city's global profile, according to report by The Guardian.

The development comes even as Leicester's Conservatives, along with a few voices from Labour, pledged to remove the role.

Former Indian-origin Labour Councillor Rita Patel, who will run on May 4 as an independent, said she would scrap the position.

Patel was then one of seven Indian-origin councillors who were reportedly deselected by the Labour in view of the Hindu-Muslim unrest in August and September last year.

Of the deselected candidates, Hemant Rae Bhatia and Rashmikant Joshi switched to the Conservatives.

Along with Patel, Padmini Chamund, Nita Solanki and Mahendra Valand will now be standing as independents in the election.

--IANS