3 Independents hold the key in Paonta MC president poll

Tribune News Service
Solan, January 13

Three elected Independent councillors will hold the key in the election to the posts of president and vice-president of the Paonta Sahib Municipal Committee (MC), as neither the BJP nor the Congress could secure the majority in the civic body poll recently.

The BJP-supported members have secured the highest number of six seats, but are one seat short of attaining the majority in the 13-member House. The Congress has won four seats and the support of three Independent councillors, namely Meenu Gupta, Madhukar Dogri and Rohtash Nangia, is the key in the election to the two top posts.

Power Minister and Paonta Sahib MLA Sukhram Chawdhary faces an uphill task in securing the support of an Independent councillor to attain the majority. While one of the three Independent councillors has already refused to extend support to the BJP, the party can hope to rope in one member.

Chawdhary had to eat humble pie as his claim to have sought the support of Independent member Meenu Gupta in the afternoon fizzled out by the evening. The situation is not good for the Congress either which is riddled with factionalism. Humbled by yesterday’s open outburst, which backfired, both parties are now keeping their cards close to their chests.

The home turf of the Power Minister has become a sore point for the BJP in the district, as the party-supported candidates could not secure the majority. The ruling party has won an overwhelming majority in Rajgarh nagar panchayat and the Nahan Municipal Committee. State BJP president Suresh Kashyap and former Cabinet minister Rajeev Bindal have proved their political acumen in these areas.

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