No cold war among councillors

Tribune reporters

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Mandi Ahmedgarh/ Payal/Raikot, March 10

Beating the earlier trend of cut-throat competition for chieftainship of municipal council, the elected members of the civic bodies of the region are leaving their fate in hands of legislators and in-charges of their respective areas.

The posts of president, senior vice-president and vice-president for civic body at Payal have been filled unanimously. Ahmedgarh municipal council will be getting its chief elected tomorrow.

However, a meeting called for election of office-bearers of Raikot municipal council has been staggered following demise of one of the elected councilors.

Aspirants for post of chieftainship of civic bodies in the region were not as enthusiastic as during previous terms when councilors used to go in hiding before the election meeting. The horse-trading and vicious lobbying that used to precede the election of the president and his or her colleagues has almost sublimed this time. Increase in number of first timers, unexpectedly higher expenses by candidates during recent elections and forthcoming 2017 assembly elections were cited as major factors behind virtual surrender by aspirants for the posts.

“Even if we succeed in getting the post by alluring some more councilors and leaders in the parties in regime, how can we be sure that tables will not be turned after assembly elections in 2017,” argued an aspirant who won the election.

Professor Bhupinder Singh Cheema, Pritpal Singh Bittu and Sunita Joshi were elected president, senior vice-president and vice-president respectively of Payal municipal council unanimously. Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Dr Charan Jit Singh Atwal has played a key role in creating consensus among the councilors.

Returning officer-cum-sub-divisional magistrate Raikot Sena Aggarwal had to postpone the meeting called for swearing-in newly elected councilors and election of office-bearers of the civic body as Vijay Kumar Jain, BJP councilor, ward number 3 died prior to the scheduled meeting.

MLA Amargarh Iqbal Singh Jhoondan has also succeeded in creating consensus among councilors in Ahmedgarh. Though the cards are yet to be opened it is expected that Paramjit Kaur Jassal, a SAD councilor, will be elected as president during the meeting scheduled to take place on Wednesday.