Cong, with 2 of 30 councillors, wins

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 22

A Congress councillor, Yadwinder Singh ‘Yadu’, was today elected vice-president of the Muktsar Municipal Council even when the party has only two members in the 30-member House. The other Congress councillor did not participate in the poll meeting.

The name of Yadwinder, councillor from ward 9, was proposed by SAD councillor Subhash Khunger ‘Kali’ and seconded by SAD councillor Gurmeet Singh ‘Jeeta’. 

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He got 19 votes from a total of 28 members present. The SAD-BJP alliance has 23 (16 plus seven) councillors, five are Independent and two belong to the Congress. One councillor had resigned after getting a government job.

The SAD-BJP camp had proposed the name of Rupinder Kaur, but she got just nine votes. Fearing it would lose the election, the SAD-BJP camp tried to play the Dalit card, but councillor Simarjit Kaur refused to become the vice-presidential candidate.

The election was held after Kataria, a BJP leader, completed his one-year term. 

Harpal Singh Bedi of SAD  is president of the House. He is facing a revolt by party councillors who had recently brought in a no-confidence motion against him. He managed to survive.

The SAD leadership had suspended 11 of them for non-party activities. The BJP too has recommended action against three councillors.