Chandigarh: Congress to go with same candidates

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, February 27

BJP councillors today went through the same experience as their Opposition counterparts on January 18. They kept waiting for the poll process to start at the MC assembly hall. The elections to the posts of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor were scheduled for 10 am today.

BJP councillors return to Panchkula

BJP councillors have gone back to the PWD rest house in Panchkula. They are expected to leave for some far-off place on Wednesday morning. Three AAP councillors, who recently joined the BJP, were brought to Chandigarh, but not to the MC premises.

The councillors waited till about 12:30 pm before leaving the MC premises after the news about the new poll schedule came from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Earlier, councillors Maheshinder Singh Sidhu and Kanwarjeet Rana called Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor a “bhagoda” (fugitive) for not turning up to hold the elections as presiding officer.

“If a person is not well in his family, it does not mean he will not assume charge. Two-three more councillors will join us soon,” Rana told the media later.

Councillor Harpreet Kaur Babla called it the Opposition’s tactic to avoid elections as they fear defeat. Saurabh Joshi said as per provisions of the MC Act, if Mayor is unavailable, Senior Deputy Mayor can act as presiding officer. However, it was not done.

Before 10 am, AAP councillors Prem Lata and Yogesh Dhingra submitted a letter to the MC Secretary about the Mayor’s unavailability and the Senior Deputy Mayor attending the court hearing.

Dhalor said since he had gone to see his ailing sister in Ludhiana, he had informed the authorities concerned about his unavailability. HS Lucky, city Congress president, said they would not change their candidates for the two posts. The alliance had fielded Gurpreet Singh Gabi and Nirmala Devi last time.

On the day of mayoral elections on January 18, presiding officer Anil Masih had also reported sick, leading to the postponement of the elections. That day, only Opposition councillors had turned up at the MC premises.