THE Conservatives have chosen one of their former council cabinet members to stand against current Croydon North MP Steve Reed in next year's general election.
Vidhi Mohan, councillor for Fairfield ward, was selected over four other candidates and will face Mr Reed at the polls next May.
Mr Reed won a huge majority in 2012 and was elected to replace Malcolm Wicks, who passed away from cancer earlier that year.
Cllr Mohan came to Croydon as a student in 1998 and has remained here ever since and was elected to Fairfield ward in a by-election in December 2005.
He served in the recently deposed Conservative administration as cabinet member for communities and economic development and is now shadow cabinet member for transport and environment.
Cllr Mohan said: "I am proud to be given the opportunity to represent Croydon North.
"I realise the challenges the Conservatives face in Croydon North but it is up to me to change their minds and I would not be standing as a token candidate."
On his election rival, Cllr Mohan said he did not want to be dragged into a "negative campaign" just yet.
But he added: "I don't want to tell Steve what he should be doing. He had a very tough act to follow on from Malcolm Wicks but I think he should focus more on the issues such as the deprivation and lack of jobs in the area.
"Sometimes it does seem as if he is just pursuing his own national agenda."
Cllr Mohan, who also works in infrastructure financing, lives in Shirley but said it should not matter.
Cllr Mohan said: "I live in Shirley but I spend a lot of time in the north of the borough and know all the issues it faces from working as a councillor so I don't think it's an important issue."
