Azad Group goes on ‘forced holiday’ to avoid horse-trading

Akash Ghai

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Tribune News Service

Mohali, July 29

Expecting that the final decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in connection with Mohali mayoral election would be out today, the Azad Group leader Kulwant Singh took his councillors to Himachal Pradesh, apparently in a bid to avoid any horse-trading.

Sources claimed that the councillors belonging to the Azad Group were together and stayed at a luxurious hotel in Shimla.

Notably, the Azad Group had won 11 seats in the 50-member House. After demise of Amteshwar Kaur, a senior member of the group, the number of seats with the group was reduced to 10.

With 23 seats in hand, the SAD-BJP combine fell short of three seats to win majority in the House. The Congress had won 14 while two Independents emerged winners in the elections.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, two councillors of the Azad Group, wishing not to be identified, said the group members were hopeful of the high court announcing the verdict in the case today.

“So, we (the group members) came to Shimla to stay united,” said one of the councillors. The councillor admitted that the head of the group took the step amidst the fears of ‘horse-trading’.

However, the councillors refused to give further details of their location and programme.

It may be mentioned here that this is not for the first time that Kulwant Singh took his group members on ‘forced holidays’.

After announcement of the election results in February this year, the coloniser-turned-politician had taken members of the group to Chail, Himachal Pradesh, where they stayed for a few days.

Meanwhile, Kulwant Singh could not be contacted despite several attempts.

Sources said the fear of horse trading was ‘genuine’ as local Akali leaders were hell bent on seeing an Akali man becoming the first mayor of the city.