This is the second time in the last 15 months,ever since he was elected as the civic body chief,that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader has vacated the post.

Citing health grounds,Sukhwant has delegated his powers to his deputy,MC senior vice-president Himmat Singh,who has recently taken charge as the acting president of the civic body here.

In a communiqué to the MC Executive Officer,Sukhwant,who is the younger brother of Chamkaur Sahib Independent MLA Charanjit Singh,has written that due to his ill health,he was unable to discharge his duties,following which his powers be delegated to Himmat till he recovers and becomes fit to resume his duties.

Though Sukhwant,who was supported by the ruling SAD-BJP combine,ruled out losing majority in the House,the Opposition group,including disgruntled councillors of the Congress party,the ruling combine and Independents,has attributed the move to avoid facing a no-confidence motion.

One of the Opposition group members,who did not wish to be named,said Sukhwant was elected president out of compulsion on directives of late Punjab Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh.

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Since Capt Kanwaljit is no more,we are also no longer supporting Sukhwant,against whom we will soon be moving a no-confidence motion for his removal from the top post, he asserted.

Dismissing it as a hollow and baseless claim,Sukhwant explained as he had to visit PGIMER in Chandigarh daily for some serious health ailment,official work was suffering in his absence from office,in view of which he has delegated powers.

Doctors have advised me rest for a couple of months,following which I will resume office, said Sukhwant,who has also accommodated various councillors of the ruling group by appointing them as heads of different departments in the civic body.

Sukhwant had earlier vacated his post in June last year when he had delegated his powers to the then MC senior vice-president Roshan Lal,whose one-year term ended in November 2009,following which Himmat was elected new MC senior vice-president.

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Sukhwant and his wife Paramjeet Kaur were among the 10 councillors,which the ruling SAD-BJP combine had supported.

On his first day in office on November 25,2009,after being elected as MC chief,Sukhwant had faced revolt from eight of the total 15 councillors.