Are municipal corporation polls in Phagwara under a cloud?

Our Correspondent

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, October 26

While hearing a petition filed by local MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal on July 17 against the Punjab Government citing wrong delimitation process of the Phagwara Municipal Corporation (MC), the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) had set aside new delimitation and cleared the way to hold civic body elections based on old delimitation of 2020.

Considering the HC judgment and recent political developments, I have written to the State Election Commission to guide if the schedule for the preparation of electoral rolls as per latest delimitation is to be carried further or not. —Jai Inder Singh, SDM, Phagwara

But the clouds shadowing MC polls have not cleared even after 10 days of the HC decision.The process for conducting the MC elections was started by Deputy Commissioner Karnail Singh around mid-October. It was decided to prepare voter lists. Draft of voters list was to be published on October 21 after the preparation of electoral rolls till October 19. People were to file claims and objections by October 31 and these were to be disposed of on November 8. Final voters list was to be published on November 10.

Interestingly, on the directions of Election Commission, five Electoral Registration Officers and five Assistant Electoral Registration Officers were appointed for the MC elections.

As per orders issued by the district administration, SDM Phagwara, Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Kapurthala, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Kapurthala, XEN, PWD, Kapurthala, and General Manager, DIC, Kapurthala, were appointed Electoral Registration Officers.

Tehsildar, Phagwara, Assistant Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Kapurthala, Excise and Taxation Officer, Phagwara, SDO, PWD, Phagwara, and Functional Manager, DIC, Kapurthala, were appointed Assistant Electoral Registration Officers.

Meanwhile, a few politicians are considering to appeal against the HC decision. Other politicians are threatening to file “contempt of court” if the MC elections are not held on the basis of the old delimitation of wards.

When contacted, Phagwara SDM Jai Inder Singh said considering the HC judgment and recent political developments, he had written to the State Election Commission to guide if the schedule for the preparation of electoral rolls as per latest delimitation was to be carried further or not.

Phagwara MLA Dhaliwal, who filed a writ petition in the HC, said though he was a member of the delimitation board, the authorities ignored him.

Around 100 objections were filed by residents against the proposed delimitation, which was hurting sentiments of the general and reserved categories.The proposed delimitation was announced without taking anyone into confidence. Dhaliwal alleged that despite repeated requests, neither any proper survey was conducted nor any notification was issued in this connection.

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