10 months on, Ludhiana civic body elections nowhere in sight

Tribune News Service

Harshraj Singh

Ludhiana, February 4

Opposition party leaders are expressing concerns over the delay in the Municipal Corporation (MC) elections, which are yet to take place 10 months after the last MC House term ended.

They claimed that the absence of an elected MC House has brought development in the city to a standstill and major issues remain unaddressed.

Hardships for public

Former Congress councillor Baljinder Singh Bunty said at present, people are compelled to travel to MLAs’ offices, facing challenges such as covering long distances to obtain signatures for birth and death document corrections from two MLAs. The situation has led to significant hardships for the public.

Previously, opposition parties had questioned the new ward delimitation process and a few individuals had challenged the process in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The matter is still in court, as per information. Some opposition leaders advocated for holding the elections, according to the old ward delimitation.

Notably, the term of the MC’s last General House came to an end on March 25, 2023. However, the date for the fresh MC elections is yet to be announced.

Former Congress councillor Baljinder Singh Bunty expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing delay in the civic body elections, stating that it contradicts the essence of democracy. He emphasised that real victims were common citizens who, in the absence of elected councillors, were now forced to visit offices of MLAs for document attestation. In each constituency, where there were previously around 15 or more councillors, accessibility was more convenient. At present, people are compelled to travel to MLAs’ offices, facing challenges such as covering long distances to obtain signatures for birth and death document corrections from two MLAs. The situation has led to significant hardships for the public.

Bunty further alleged that the AAP government might be intentionally postponing the poll due to its anticipated losses in the MC elections.

President of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Ludhiana, Bhupinder Singh Bhinda, remarked that the AAP had made lofty commitments to the public before the previous Assembly elections but failed to fulfil them after assuming power in the state. Hence, AAP is delaying the elections, causing a standstill in the city’s development, he said.

Bhinda pointed out that salaries of sanitation workers were not being released on time and critical issues such as corruption, building bylaw violations, stray cattle menace, inadequate solid waste management, and open garbage dumps remain unaddressed in the city.

However, state spokesperson for AAP Ahbaab Singh Grewal refuted the allegations of opposition leaders, asserting that there was no delay on the government’s part.

He said opposition party leaders had moved court against the ward delimitation process and sought a stay from the court. Meanwhile, MLA Ashok Prashar Pappi said the MC elections were expected to be held concurrently with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

He said people did not face any difficulties in obtaining document attestations from his and other offices of AAP MLAs.

Pappi alleged that the previous government had mishandled the ward delimitation process, asserting that it had now been rectified.

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