Bypoll in MC ward No. 49 on Feb 22

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 6

With the Municipal Corporation (MC) byelections for ward No. 49 announced today for February 22, political activity in Jalandhar around the area, too, is likely to get heated up.

Since the seat has remained with the Congress for the past five terms ever since the Municipal Corporation Jalandhar came into being in 1991, the BJP is treading very cautiously and is yet to decide the name of its candidate. It got vacated when party councillor Sharwan Grover passed away about a year and a half ago, following an illness. The ward has remained with the family for five consecutive terms, giving it the strongest claim to re-contest for the party again.

In June 2012, Sharwan Grover became councillor for the fourth time in June 2012, defeating his rival Dr Ajit Bhardwaj from the BJP by a thumping margin of 2,683 votes. While he had been a councillor in 1991, 1997 and 2002, his wife Kamlesh Grover (58) got elected to the seat in 2007 when the ward got reserved for women. This time again the family has decided to field Kamlesh Grover and is awaiting a final nod from the party leaders.

Cautious of the strong background of the candidate and sympathy vote likely to go for the late councillor’s widow, the BJP is still indecisive on whom to field from the seat. The party is still delving on whether to go with old contestants, including Dr Bhardwaj and Deepak Jaura, because of little time left or rope in someone bigwig from outside. The name of a scribe from a vernacular paper getting ticket too is doing rounds.

Ward areas

The areas falling in the ward include part of Basti Nau, Surya Nagar, Adda Basti Guzan to Jhandiya Wala Peer Chowk to Old Sharanjeet Hospital, Adda Basti Sheikh to University College, Ganesh Nagar, Ashok Nagar, New Ashok Nagar, Narain Nagar, Tej Mohan Nagar Gali Number 11, Mangoo Basti, New Sant Nagar, Tej Mohan Nagar, Avtar Nagar, Tagore Mandir, Sant Nagar and Nizatam Nagar.

Poll schedule

Additional Deputy Commissioner (development)-cum-Additional Election Officer Kumar Amit said nominations would be received from tomorrow till February 11 in the office of Chief Agricultural Officer-cum-Returning Officer from 11 am to 3 pm. He said the scrutiny of the papers would be held on February 12 and the candidates would be able to withdraw their candidature on February 13. He said the candidates would be allotted symbols the same evening. He said 10 polling booths had been set up in the ward for which counting would be held on February 26 in the office of the RO at 10 am.