Minister’s move catches Mohali Mayor off guard

Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service
Mohali, December 9

A “pre-emptive strike” by a local minister last night has caught Mohali’s first citizen off guard. While Mohali Mayor Kulwant Singh was scheduled to inaugurate two open gyms, set up at parks in two wards (1 and 24), here this morning, Punjab minister and local Congress MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu quietly did the honours last evening, leaving the Mayor and his supporters upset and shocked.

Conflicts between the friends-turned-foes, Sidhu and Kulwant Singh, are an open secret. Kulwant now owes allegiance to the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Today, when Mayor Kulwant Singh reached Phase 9 and Phase 1 to inaugurate two open gyms for which the Mohali Municipal Corporation had allocated funds (around Rs 4.50 lakh each), he was shocked to learn that Sidhu had already done the honours last evening.

“It’s shocking. I don’t know what to say. The minister has nothing to do with these gyms, which are being set up by the Municipal Corporation. Moreover, both wards have our (SAD) councillors, who put in a lot of efforts in getting gyms for their area,” said Kulwant Singh, who inaugurated the gyms again today. 

Councillors from these wards — RP Sharma and KS Ruby — were also upset over yesterday’s development. “We never expected this from the minister. How could he inaugurate the gyms when he has no involvement in the project,” said the councillors.

Paramjit Singh Kahlon, another senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) councillor, termed it “dirty politics” on the part of Sidhu. “He just wants to take credits for all works,” said Kahlon.