Over a year on, 2 mayoral posts in Panchkula still vacant

Amit Bathla

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Panchkula, April 22

It’s been more than a year now since elections to the Panchkula Municipal Corporation were held, but the posts of the Senior Deputy Mayor and the Deputy Mayor are still vacant.

As per Rule 71 (2) of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Election Rules, 1994, the holding of elections for both the posts is to be ensured by the Divisional Commissioner within 60 days from the notification of the names of the Mayor and the elected members of the House.

The election of 20 councillors and the Mayor was conducted on December 27, 2020, and the results were announced on December 30. In January last year, the Mayor and councillors were administered oath at the PWD Rest House in Sector 1.

In the 20-member House, the BJP had secured a majority by winning 11 seats along with its alliance partner Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).

However, the two JJP councillors opposed the BJP on several occasions, with paid parking in Sector 20 being the key issue for the rift between the alliance partners. The area where the paid parking had been introduced by the MC actually falls in ward number 14, which belongs to JJP councillor Sushil Garg.

The Congress won seven seats, while the remaining two went to Independent candidates.

Whereas the Congress alleges it’s a deliberate attempt by the ruling BJP government as they fear councillors of their alliance partner JJP will vote against them, the BJP counters it by saying the election to both the posts will be held soon.

Renu Phulia, Divisional Commissioner, Ambala, said whenever the Panchkula MC Commissioner would write to her, she would conduct elections to both the posts.

Salim Dabkouri, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the MC House, said the BJP government was purposely running away from the elections to the two posts.

“The BJP knows councillors of its alliance partner, JJP, would vote against them. They don’t have the numbers,” he said.