F&CC election in Chandigarh: BJP, alliance gear up for another fight on March 11

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, March 7

After the mayoral polls, the AAP-Congress alliance and the BJP today set up another clash with both sides filing nominations for three seats each for the five-member

Finance and Contract Committee, elections, which will be held on March 11.

The elections are held through secret voting by councillors in the assembly hall. They are supposed to give a preference for five candidates each. The one with least preference will get eliminated.

It is the most powerful panel after the MC House and can decide on an agenda item worth up to Rs 50 lakh. The MC House has unlimited financial power.

Another significance of the F&CC is most of the important agenda, including the budget, are to be put up before the panel before being tabled in the House.

In case the MC or the Secretary, Local Government, declare yesterday’s budget meeting illegal, the agenda will have to be brought to the F&CC first. The committee will give its suggestions and may even get things added or subtracted from the agenda. Thus, the party which has more members on the committee will have a major say in important agenda.

Meanwhile, three councillors of the alliance who filed their nomination papers today are Jaswinder Kaur and Ramchandra Yadav from AAP, and Taruna Mehta from the Congress. Councillors Maheshinder Singh Sidhu, Jasmanpreet Singh and Lakhbir Singh Billu filed the nominations from the BJP.

The nominations were submitted to MC Secretary Samabhu Rathee.

Uncertainty over free water, parking agenda

Today’s House meeting planned by the Mayor to bring the agenda of providing free 20 thousand litres of water per month per household and free parking in the MC’s lots could not be held in view of legal opinion sent by the Secretary, Local Government (SLG), yesterday.

The meeting for the agenda can now be held only after the Finance and Contract Committee meeting on March 11, provided the LS poll model of code of conduct doesn’t come into force by then. AAP is bringing this agenda with an eye on the coming Lok Sabha elections. However, even if it is passed by the House, it is unlikely to be approved by the SLG.

Members elected unanimously earlier

The members were elected unanimously in the past two years, as all parties had reached an understanding. Nominations for two seats each were filed by BJP and AAP, while the Congress had filed papers for one seat