3 Cong candidates win unopposed

Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 8

Three Congress councillors were declared unopposed winners today after their opponents, who had filed their nominations as Independent candidates, withdrew their nomination papers for the Patiala Municipal Corporation elections that are scheduled for December 17. These include Sanjeev Bittu from Ward No. 42, Sonia Kapoor from Ward No. 41 and Maya Devi from Ward No. 47.

The victory becomes all the more interesting considering that the nomination papers of their main rivals, SAD-BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), were cancelled on Thursday and Sanjeev Bittu, who was the leader of the Opposition during the previous SAD-BJP term, is the top contender for the post of Mayor in case the Congress forms the House.

SAD, AAP leaders hold protest

There was a lot of hue and cry yesterday when the nomination papers of the SAD-BJP and the AAP candidates were cancelled from Ward Nos. 41 and 42. Alleging that the nomination papers were cancelled on the behest of Congress leaders to ensure a smooth sail for its candidates, especially Bittu, senior leaders, including former SAD minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, SAD MLA Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra, Satbir Singh Khatra, Aam Aadmi Party’s senior leader Dr Balbir Singh, BJP’s SK Dev and a few others had held a three-hour dharna outside the office of the Patiala Deputy Commissioner. With this, these Congress councillors were left with only an Independent pitted against them in each ward and the latter took back their papers today thus, clearing the battlefield for them.

Congress councillor Sanjeev Bittu said their unopposed victory was a good omen and he was sure that all Congress councilors would win hands down.

“The SAD-BJP has literally ruined Patiala during the past 10 years despite the fact that it was considered among the most beautiful and developed cities of the state. However, since it is the hometown of CM Capt Amarinder Singh and a Congress stronghold since decades, they did not do anything for its development. Residents are crying for basic amenities but to no avail. Hence, now when the Congress forms the House, they will ensure that all development works are finished at the earliest and new development projects are brought,” he said.

Meanwhile, about the cancellation of nomination papers of candidates from other parties, Bittu said all senior leaders of the SAD-BJP have ran away from the elections and got workers trapped in the MC poll since they know that they have not done anything for Patiala and it would be impossible to face the residents now. Following this, their cadre was really disheartened and they had deliberately made mistakes in their nomination papers to save their skin.