MC chief’s removal intensifies civic politics in Mohali

With Rana’s removal,all the three posts of elected heads in MC have fallen vacant as the posts of senior vice-president and vice-president were already lying vacant since January 30 when the one year term of the previous incumbents Harman Preet Singh Prince and Prabhjot Kaur Sodhi,respectively,had expired. However,Sodhi had died in December.

As the state government ordered early election to fill up the vacant posts,the rival groups of councillors in the MC have begun lobbying and horse trading to capture the top MC post.

It is learnt that a group of 18 councillors,headed by a former MC chief,who is lobbying hard to recapture the MC chief’s post,has went underground in an apparent bid to maintain the majority in the House of 30 councillors; as a councilor’s post was lying vacant following Sodhi’s death; till the election takes place.

Principal Secretary,Local Government,Punjab ,C Roul,has directed MC Executive Officer (EO) to write to Deputy Commissioner to immediately appoint a convener to convene a special meeting of the MC House to elect the new MC chief.

“We expect to fill up the vacant posts soon but if due to any reason,the election was not conducted during the reasonable period of time than we could even think of appointing an Administrator,which was not required immediately,as EO is there to manage and run day-to-day affairs of the civic body till new president is elected,” Roul told Newsline over phone.

Apparently in a minority with the support of only 10 councillors besides local Congress MLA Balbir Sidhu,who being an ex-officio member,has a voting right in the MC,the Congress-backed Rana today announced to challenge his removal in Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday.

“We would seek directions to stay the operation of the government’s order,which was arbitrary,unjustified and undemocratic merely based on political victimization,” said Rana while addressing a press conference here.

MLA Sidhu,who flanked Rana,announced to fight tooth and nail against what he termed as ruling SAD-BJP combine state government’s “political vendetta”.

Meanwhile,a local councillor and senior Congress leader Kuljit Singh Bedi has urged the state government to hold elections to fill up the vacant posts of elected heads in the MC without any further delay to restore democratic exercise in the civic body. Bedi had already filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking directions to conduct election of vacant posts of senior and junior vice-presidents.