Ravi Bhalla
Hoboken, New Jersey City council member Ravi Bhalla has officially been added to the Nov. 7 ballot for Hoboken mayor.

HOBOKEN, N.J. (Diya TV) — Hoboken, New Jersey City council member Ravi Bhalla has officially been added to the Nov. 7 ballot for Hoboken mayor.

In the upcoming election, Bhalla believes he can win. “Our team is in the best position. My greatest asset is Mayor Zimmer’s endorsement and her confidence in me,” Bhalla said. “People generally are very happy with her performance as Mayor, and we worked together for eight years,” he told Desi Talk.

Hoboken is heavily Democratic, therefore the vote is expected to be split among a number of Democratic candidates.

There are six candidates vying for the seat. Well-liked for her leadership, Zimmer, who resigned as Mayor in June, is supporting Bhalla.

Other candidates include City Councilmember Jennifer Giattino, freeholder Anthony Romano, Councilmember Michael DeFusco, businesswoman Karen Nason and cycling advocate Ronald Bautista.

Bhalla’s campaign claims to have knocked on 3,000 doors in his constituency over the last 6-8 weeks.

“Ours is a grassroots campaign fueled by volunteers and with a lot of work on the ground,” he said.

The Indian-American community statewide and especially in North and Central Jersey, has been “very supportive” Bhalla says, inviting him to their homes or their businesses and contributing generously.

Hoboken, in Hudson County has a population of just over 50,000. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and is home to the Hoboken terminal, a major transportation hub. Census data shows the City is over 80 percent white and just over seven percent Asian.

According to a 2011 Forbes article, Hoboken has the highest public transportation use of any city in the U.S., with 56 percent of working residents using public transportation for commuting each day