Solan ex-Mayor Usha Sharma’s plea challenging disqualification dismissed

Shimla, June 25

The HP High Court today dismissed the petition filed by former Mayor of Municipal Corporation, Solan, Usha Sharma and former Councillor, Poonam Grover whereby both had challenged the order passed on June 10, 2024 by the Principal Secretary, Urban Development disqualifying them as Councillors of Ward nos 12 and 8 of Municipal Corporation, Solan.

While dismissing the petition, a division bench comprising Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice Satyen Vaidya observed that “It is not open to this court to act as an Appellate Authority and substitute its views by re-appreciating evidence already considered by the Enquiry Officer. Therefore, we see no reason to interfere with the order passed by the competent authority accepting the findings in the enquiry report and disqualifying the petitioners as Councilors of the Municipal Corporation, Solan.”

The elections for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor were held on December 7, 2023 under the supervision of authorised officer and Usha Sharma (Congress was elected as Mayor and Meera Anand as Deputy Mayor of the BJP of the corporation. Thereafter, a representation/complaint was made by the president, District Congress Committee and a councillor of ward no 17, contending that the petitioners and the two others had gone against the party directions during the elections of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and as a result, they had cast their votes in favour of Usha Sharma instead of the Congress nominated candidate Sardar Singh Thakur.