Ludhiana MC plans extensive arrangements to ensure fair F&CC poll; councillors seek clarity on process

With the elections of two councillors to the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation scheduled for August 25, the civic body has planned extensive arrangements to ensure that the voting and counting process remains transparent.

An MC official said 12 cameras would be installed at the venue to record proceedings and senior officials would remain present throughout the elections. A mock voting exercise would also be conducted on August 24 to check the arrangements before the elections.

The preparations come after several councillors sought detailed information about the procedure for electing the two F&CC members. They have raised questions regarding nominations, voting, counting and the handling of election-related documents.

The councillors referred to Section 42(4) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, under which two members of the F&CC are to be elected from among the councillors. They sought clarity on the role of presiding officers and the procedure to be adopted if there is a tie.

Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti also questioned contents of the election notice issued by the MC agenda branch. He said some important details relating to the voting procedure were not mentioned and sought clarification on whether the notice had been examined by the legal branch or approved by the Municipal Commissioner.

The councillors have also raised the issue of a joint resolution submitted by 45 councillors to the Mayor on August 5, seeking voting through ballot papers. They wanted to know why the resolution was not included in the agenda for the August 25 House meeting.

Councillor Rohit Sikka said all necessary information should be made available to councillors before the elections so that there was no confusion during the process. He stressed that the poll should be conducted strictly according to the rules.

According to the MC, every councillor will get an equal opportunity to vote and the civic body has made arrangements to prevent any irregularity irrespective of political affiliation. The voting is expected to be conducted through a show of hands while the final counting will determine the two elected members.

The political numbers make the contest significant. The AAP has 48 councillors, Congress 26, BJP 19 and SAD two. Though the ruling party has the largest strength, it may not be able to secure both seats on its own, making coordination among opposition parties important.

Ahead of the election of two councillor members of the F&CC, Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti has approached the Commissioner of Police, seeking strict compliance with the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and ensuring that all councillors are able to attend and vote freely. In his representation, Bhatti said the election was linked to CWP No. 20549 of 2026 pending before the High Court and was being held in accordance with its orders dated August 7 and August 14.

He said the process was required to follow Section 42(4) of the Municipal Corporation Act and the meeting was also to be videographed. Referring to the recent registration of an FIR against an opposition councillor, Bhatti said it had created apprehension among opposition councillors that similar police action could take place against others before the election, potentially affecting their presence and voting rights. He clarified that he was not seeking any exemption from lawful police action but urged the police to ensure that no councillor was unnecessarily prevented from attending the elections.