Amritsar gets first Sikh Mayor

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 23

The Congress today named Karamjit Singh Rintu as the city Mayor. The announcement was made after an oath-taking ceremony of elected councillors held in the presence of Cabinet Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa here. Rintu will be the first Sikh Mayor of the city. Raman Bakshi was named Senior Deputy Mayor, while Younis Deputy Mayor.

Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and his supporters were conspicuous by their absence. As many as 15 supporters of Sidhu did not attend the meeting. They held a separate press conference and alleged that the government was ignoring Sidhu.

Sidhu had yesterday announced that he would not be attending the oath-taking ceremony since he was not invited. Insiders claim that the state leadership had not consulted Sidhu over mayoral posts.

Tript Rajinder Bajwa said he had gone to meet Sidhu at his office to extend an invitation. “He might be busy in some other task. The party leadership has decided the names. I just delivered the message. Sidhu too had said that he had left the matter to the leadership,” he said.

Rintu said: “I know him (Sidhu) very well. I will visit his home to meet him.”

Other aspirants for the Mayor’s post were Mamta Dutta, a close relative of MLA Sunil Dutti, and former leader of opposition in MC Rajkanwal Preetpal Singh Lucky.