AAP’s Balwinder picked as Nawanshahr Municipal Council chief, a post each for SAD, BSP

The elections to top posts of the Municipal Council (MC) were held this noon on Friday. The post of Nawanshahr MC chief was lying vacant for nearly two years. Former Congress MLA Angad Saini said election was conducted in violation of the MC bylaws. He was stopped at the barricades put up outside the office of MC where he and party workers lodged a protest.

Councillor Balwinder Kaur, who shifted from the Congress to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was picked as the MC chief, Jinder Jit Kaur of the SAD was chosen as the Senior Vice President and Gurmukh Singh North of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was elected as the Junior Vice President of the MC. The three parties had colluded to outdo the Congress which had the maximum number of seven votes in the MC House.

The AAP managed to touch a figure of 10 with four councillors of its own, three of the SAD, two of the BSP (including a councillor and Nawanshahr MLA Nachhatar Pal) and one Independent. All three candidates elected to the top posts are from the Dalit community.

Angad Saini alleged that the AAP leadership had been using the SAD and the BSP for its vested interests in the town. “It was for the second time that the election was held today. On both the occasions SDM Ravinder Kumar Bansal clearly played along the AAP dictates. As the election was scheduled around three weeks ago, the AAP could not get majority. So, the election was cancelled on the pretext that the SDM was not well. Even today, the SDM got the election process wound up within three minutes. He knew it well that we will protest over the irregularities,” said Angad.

While highlighting irregularities, Angad said, “The notice for the election was to be issued 48 hours ahead, but we got less time. They gave it to us on Wednesday evening. Since Thursday was a public holiday, we could not even go to the Punjab and Haryana High Court to seek reprieve. The election was previously announced only for the post of Senior and Junior Vice Presidents, but they also held election for the post of the President. Our party’s chief Sachin Dewan, who was suspended, is fighting a legal battle in the court against the order.”

The Congress leader said the gates of the MC office were locked after the SDM left. “They did this so that we could not enter the office and expose the AAP for its incomplete exercise regarding passing of resolutions. They also stopped us from entering the venue of Sikhya Kranti event at Nawanshahr school on Monday,” Angad said, while adding that he and party councillors had also met Deputy Commissioner Ankurjit Singh and requested him to provide video clips of the event.