Haryana MC poll: Samalkha Municipal Committee to get first chairman by direct voting on June 19

Mukesh Tandon

Panipat, June 8

The poll for the post of Samalkha Municipal Committee (SMC) chairman has become a prestige issue for the BJP as well as for its coalition party JJP. Besides, the Congress supported candidate’s entry has made the electoral fight more interesting.

As many as 31,227 voters — 16,513 men and 14711 women voters — in 17 wards of SMC will get its first chairman by direct voting on June 19. Eight candidates are in the fray for the chairman’s post while 57 are in fray for the councillor’s post. Renu Kumari has already been elected as councillor unopposed from Ward 4.

The BJP has fielded Ashok Kuchhal, former chairman of the committee, who had to leave the chairmanship after a majority of the councillors moved a no-confidence motion against him in August 2017. Kuchhal had won the election in 2016 from Ward1 and was elected as the chairman of the MC. After completion of one year, 16 councillors had moved a no-trust motion against him. He was also arrested by the police in an alleged case of money extortion and the matter is pending in the court so far.

On the other side, the JJP, coalition party of the BJP, has supported an independent candidate Ashok Gupta, a dissident from the BJP after not getting a ticket. He was also a former chairman of the SMC.

The Congress has supported independent candidate Sanjay Beniwal, the INLD has fielded Umesh Kumar, AAP has fielded Bhagat Singh and the BSP has fielded Harundeen for the chairman post while two women Kusum Lata and Sunita are in the fray as independent candidates.

Notably, the BJP and JJP senior functionaries had joined hands for the chairman post of the municipal councils’ elections and left the decision of the municipal committee’s chairman post on the district bodies of the BJP-JJP. Though there were 8 candidates in the fray for the chairman post, the contest has become more interesting as the ruling BJP-JJP coalition will contest the elections against each other here, said a political analyst.

However, winning the election is a prestige issue for all parties, especially the BJP as district president Dr Archana Gupta belongs to Samalkha. The JJP has also taken it as a prestige issue to show their stronghold in the area, said a political analyst here. However, the Congress has refused to contest elections on the party symbol but it will also make efforts to get the seat of chairman for its supported candidate, sources said.

Interesting contest

Though there were 8 candidates in the fray for the post of chairperson, the contest has become more interesting as the ruling BJP-JJP coalition will contest the elections against each other here. — Political analyst

Prestige issue for BJP

Winning the election is a prestige issue for all parties, especially the BJP as district president Dr Archana Gupta belongs to Samalkha. The JJP also wants to show its stronghold in the area. — Political analyst