A CANDIDATE due to stand for the Conservatives in the Bromsgrove District Council elections has resigned from the party for not declaring information relating to his application.
Luv Datta was nominated for the Bromsgrove Central ward and was set to contest the seat on May 4 against Labour’s David Peters and Siobhan Robinson who currently holds the seat for the Liberal Democrats.
But ‘new information coming to light’ led to the Bromsgrove Conservatives undertaking an investigation.
The party said on its website that following new and compelling information being discovered in relation to Mr Datta, the Bromsgrove Conservative Association acted swiftly to conduct an urgent investigation.
A Bromsgrove Conservative Association spokesperson told the Standard: “Mr Datta has accepted that he failed to disclose all relevant information in his application to stand as a Conservative candidate.
“He has tendered his resignation, and it has been accepted.
“He will no longer represent the Conservative Party in the forthcoming local elections.”
The development has now raised questions about what happens in Central Ward as the nominations have closed, the Conservatives are unable to put up another candidate and the ballot papers have all been printed.
Feasibly people could have already voted for Mr Datta via postal vote.
So what happens now?
The voting in Bromsgrove Central will go ahead as planned.
Mr Datta will be listed on the ballot paper as a Conservative.
Election regulations require anyone winning a seat by accruing the highest vote tally to sign the ‘acceptance of office’ declaration.
Naturally, if the Labour or Liberal Democrat candidate were to win, they would sign the declaration.
Were Mr Datta to have the highest polling in that ward, he could opt to sign the declaration and take the seat but without the Conservative whip meaning he would be independent.
If he were to win but not sign then, the Standard understands, a by-election would have to be called – at the cost to the taxpayer.
A Bromsgrove District Council spokesperson said: “It would not be appropriate to comment on this matter.”
