Mayoral poll deferred after BJP protest in Abohar
High drama as leaders question election process
After a day of high political drama, the elections to the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor of the Abohar Municipal Corporation were deferred on Friday evening. The announcement was made by Jalalabad SDM Kirpal Vir Singh on behalf of the Commissioner, Ferozepur Division, after the election process triggered a major political controversy.
The BJP had won in 28 of a total 50 wards, indicating a clear majority. AAP won in 20 wards, while the Congress and an Independent candidate won one seat each. Abohar is the only municipal corporation in the state where the BJP secured an absolute majority in the elections held earlier this year.
However, earlier in the day, AAP, through a press note issued from Chandigarh, claimed that it had wrested control of the MC. Abohar AAP halqa in-charge and former MLA Arun Narang said Ganesh Sablania had been elected mayor, while Reshma Bai Kamboj and Kiran Nirania had been elected senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, respectively.
Narang said five BJP councillors voted in favour of the AAP candidates during the mayoral election. He claimed that the AAP candidate secured 27 votes, including that of 20 AAP councillors, five BJP councillors, one Congress councillor and one Independent councillor.
The purported declaration of the result sparked strong protests by BJP leaders and workers. led by former state party president Sunil Jakhar and Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar.
After several hours of high drama, the administration announced the postponement of the election.
Sources said Sunil Jakhar held lengthy discussions with Ferozepur Divisional Commissioner Babita Kaler and Fazilka Deputy Commissioner Amarpreet Kaur Sandhu, alleging serious irregularities in the conduct of the election. “We gheraoed the officers and demanded all official election documents,” Sandeep Jakhar told The Tribune.
Sunil Jakhar also accused the officers of failing to conduct the elections in a fair and transparent manner, and not respecting the public mandate given to the BJP.
Jakhar displayed the proceedings register before the media and claimed that no proceedings had been recorded in it. “Therefore, there was no question of anyone being declared elected as mayor,” he alleged.
BJP workers also gheraoed the official vehicles of senior district officers, including that of DC Sandhu.
Notably, the maiden meeting of the newly elected MC, originally scheduled for July 7, had also been postponed due to an “exigency”, as stated by Abohar SDM Kirpal Vir Singh.
