Senior Cong leaders conduct parleys on electing city Mayor

A day after a meeting was held with winning Congress councillors here, senior state-level Congress leaders once again gathered under Harish Choudhary, former All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Punjab affairs, to develop a consensus on candidate for the post of Mayor of the city.

Senior state party leaders, including LoP in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Partap Singh Bajwa, state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and others were present in the meeting.

Earlier, Harish Choudhary arrived in the city on Wednesday after reports emerging that the city Congress was split over the naming of Mayor. The faction owing loyalty to former Deputy CM OP Soni wanted councillor Vikas Soni to be announced as Mayor while councillors siding with MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla wanted Raj Kanwal Preet Pal Singh Lucky to be the Mayor.

Sources in the District Congress Committee said a Mayor and two Deputy Mayors would be announced to prevent a rift in the party which would favour the ruling AAP in poaching its leaders.

Hectic parleys have been going on in the party after the Congress bagged a clear majority with 40 seats in 85 wards of the MC. However, it requires 46 seats to enable Congress leaders to elect a Mayor from the party. AAP was second in this race, which got 24 seats. Since then, the parties have been engaged in horse-trading.

In this scenario, all eyes are on eight Independent candidates who are being lured by both Congress and AAP. No efforts are being spared to include winning candidates of SAD and BJP by the Congress and AAP.

It is reliably learnt that the ruling AAP has added four councillors out of the Independents and rumours are rife that two may join soon. The AAP has 24 councillors besides five MLAs from urban constituencies and two more from the rural areas could add to its tally.

Before heading for the meeting with party leaders, Partap Singh Bajwa today visited the residence of AAP MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap, who has influence over four Independent councillors. Bajwa refused to field any political questions at the residence of Kunwar Vijay Pratap, saying that he came here to condole the death of his wife who had died some weeks ago.