TWO candidates contesting May's elections for a new local political group have been announced.

Marlborough and Wealdstone Independents was formed by Councillor Husain Akhtar, the former Conservative, Labour, Independent Labour and now Independent ward councillor for Canons, and Dr Pravin Shah, the legal and general secretary of Harrow Council for Justice.

The duo are standing in Wealdstone ward at the local Harrow Council elections on May 22 - moved back to coincide with the European Parliamentary Elections - and on Thursday the group announced the names of the two other people it is putting forward to fight for votes in neighbouring Marlborough ward.

One of those aiming to grab a seat on the council is Mr Akhtar’s son Adnan Akhtar, of Springfield Road, Harrow, works in IT consultancy.

He said: “We as a community have to maximise the use of IT in our community work as well as to fully avail opportunities for our socio-economic growth.

“If elected, I would be actively involved in the IT governance of the council because the organizations that lack effective governance suffer from low performance, heightened risk exposure, and resource allocation that may appear inappropriate, arbitrary, or political.”

He will be joined on the ballot paper by Navnitlal Patel, a retired accountant and community activist of Wellesley Road, Harrow, who has been living in Harrow for the past 40 years.

He is well known and respected in the business community for his voluntary advice and support in commercial and personal finance matters.

Mr Patel said: “At a time when the economic situation due to the central or local government decisions hit the businesses and residents hard, the communities need more and more help and support in managing their financial affairs and problems – I’m so pleased that I have been actively involved in this process.

“If elected, I will be delighted to be a part of running the council most efficiently and effectively – there are tough times ahead as the council has to make a saving of £25million in 2015/16 and £20million in 2016/17.”

The group is not a registered political party so the candidates will appear as ‘Independent’ on the ballot paper.