Nagar panchayat gets Cong chief

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Barnala, January 3

Amid allegations by SAD-BJP councillors about threats and offer of money from Congress councillors and their boycott of election today, both president and vice-president of the Handiaya Nagar Panchayat (NP) were elected from among Congress councillors.

Congress councillor Ashwani Kumar, alias Aashu, became the president, while Patlu Singh was elected vice-president.

“Since the start of the election process, we had been receiving threats from Congress leaders. Even during elections an EVM was damaged. Our councillors were receiving continuous threats and money offers from Congress leaders. Today we boycotted the election and came out of the House after taking oath before the start of the election,” said SAD councillor Hajinder Kaur Mehrmiya, who remained president of the Nagar Panchayat during last year’s rule of the SAD-BJP government.

There are 13 wards in the Nagar Panchayat. Seven were won by the Congress and three each by the SAD and BJP. Newly elected president Ashwani Kumar Aashu did not take call on his mobile phone, despite repeated attempts.

“They are levelling baseless allegations. We did not need to threat anyone as we already have seven seats out of total 13,” said Kuldeep Singh Tajpuria, a Congress councillor from Ward 5.

Barnala SDM Sandeep Kumar said he did not receive any written complaint from any SAD-BJP councillor.

“Congress councillors chose their president and vice-president and there was no complaint from any SAD-BJP councillor against any Congress councillor,” said the SDM.