Chandigarh Mayoral poll deferred to February 6 amid high drama; protests ensue

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, January 18

In a dramatic turn of events, the city Mayoral poll scheduled to be held on Thursday got postponed at the eleventh hour as presiding authority Anil Masih was stated to be unwell.

The announcement made about an hour ago before the election scheduled time of 11 am in official WhatsApp group of councillors led to protests and high drama outside MC’s gate.

AAP and congress councillors, who were not allowed to gain entry by the police that had put up barricades, sat on a road. They raised slogans against the ruling BJP and accused it of making it an excuse to delay the election.

“They want to scuttle democracy and independence. No information was provided to us that we will not be allowed enter inside. We received a WhatsApp message at the eleventh hour,” said protesting congress councillor, who is senior deputy Mayor candidate of INDI Alliance.

Congress president HS Lucky said, “First MC secretary GS Sodhi got ill, now presiding officer is unwell. I think the whole BJP is ill. Operation Lotus failed in Chandigarh and they are staring at defeat. Today, they lost ethically. Their councillors have not turned up for voting. It should be declared North Korea and it is dictatorship.”

Former Congress MP Pawan Kumar Bansal, who was also denied access, accused the BJP of trying to finish democracy and not caring two hoots about the Constitution. “They have made the presiding authority hospitalised. They (BJP) want to stop the election,” added ex-Union minister Bansal.

Rajya Sabha member and national spokesperson AAP Raghav Chadha later also reached the spot. “…the BJP is all set to lose badly. This has given the BJP sleepless nights and forced its dirty tricks department to work overtime.…the BJP is, without a doubt, afraid of INDIA Alliance. BJP is like a disgruntled child who, upon being called out in gully cricket, takes away the bat and declares an end to the game. Is our democracy so weak that elections will only happen when the BJP is winning, and elections will be adjourned if it is losing?”

Reacting to it, city BJP president Jatinder Malhotra said, “It is a selfish alliance. The AAP that used to accuse the Congress of corruption is joining hands with it. People are watching this. If they are so pious, why have they have kept their councillors at gunpoint. Councillor Gurcharan Singh Kala’s daughter is hospitalised and his son has filed a kidnapping case, still he is not allowed to come out to see his daughter. Poll has been postponed due to ill health of presiding officer, any one could fell ill. Obviously after that there is a process to decide the further course of action.”

Later, opposition councillors held a meeting with Raghav Chadha and Bansal at the Punjab Chief Minister’s residence in Chandigarh. Sources said the CM was not at home at that time.

Meanwhile, today’s development is yet another interesting twist in the elections as two days ago, the ruling BJP and Congress-AAP had come to blows over loyalty of congress Mayor nominee Jasbir Singh Bunty, who later announced to be with cong.

DC announces Mayoral poll on February 6

Meanwhile, UT Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh later in the day announced that the elections for the post of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be held on February 6. Nominated councillor Anil Masih will remain the presiding officer.

“..in pursuance to the report received from the Senior Superintendent of Police, UT, Chandigarh regarding the security and law and order situation prevailing due to scheduled elections and report of Medical Superintendent, GMSH-16, with regard to the hospitalisation of the appointed Presiding Authority Anil Masih due to ill health, following order is being issued,” he said.

Alliance has numbers

The Congress-AAP’s INDI alliance, which has been formed for the first time in the country to contest a mayoral election, has a total of 20 votes — 13 of AAP and seven of the Congress councillors, whereas the ruling BJP has 15 votes (14 councillors and one ex-officio member, i.e. MP). The SAD, which has one vote, has made mind to go for NOTA. Both the SAD and the Congress had abstained from voting on the previous two elections in the current MC term.

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