BJP's Ravi Kant city Mayor; Sidhu, Farmila his deputies

Cong says BJP councillors used cameras while voting

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Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 8

Ruling BJP’s Senior Deputy Mayor Ravi Kant Sharma today rose up the ladder to become the new Mayor of Chandigarh.

He got 17 of the 24 votes polled by councillors through the secret ballot during the mayoral elections here today. His rival from the Congress, Devinder Singh Babla, could get only five votes. BJP’s former ally SAD’s lone councillor Hardeep Singh boycotted the poll. Two votes were declared invalid.

Besides, local MP Kirron Kher, who is an ex officio member of the House, and BJP councillor Heera Negi did not come due to ill-health.

After Ravi Kant was declared the Mayor, all five Congress councillors boycotted the subsequent elections of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor alleging that the saffron party councillors used cameras while voting for the Mayor.

City Congress president Pardeep Chhabra alleged that the councillors took “much time” while voting as they were clicking pictures to show their party that they voted for Ravi. Babla alleged that they had hidden cameras/phones under their jackets. The charge was vehemently denied by the BJP, saying that the Congress was doing it to save its face.

This is the BJP’s fifth and last Mayor of the current MC House, which will go to the polls by the end of this year. Ravi replaced incumbent Mayor Raj Bala Malik.

* Sidhu, Farmila make a clean sweep

Meanwhile, ruling BJP councillors Maheshinder Singh Sidhu and Farmila were elected Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively. They made a clean sweep bagging all 19 votes of the members present in the House.

* SAD councillor remembers farmers

City SAD president and councillor Hardeep Singh asked the House members to stand and pay respect to the farmers who died during the ongoing agitation. Besides him, only BJP councillor Gurpreet Singh Dhillon stood up.

* Will take action over invalid votes: Gautam

Chandigarh BJP incharge Dushyant Gautam said they would take action against the two coucillors, whose votes were found invalid. “They have been voting in the House for five years; how come they do not know how to vote,” he said.

City BJP president Arun Sood said a committee would be formed to find out whose votes were found invalid and strict action would be taken.