Mohali civic polls: Show of strength marks final day of nominations, rebels add twist to contest
Mohali civic polls saw a high-voltage final day of nominations, with major parties flexing strength and rebel candidates entering the fray as Independents.
The final day of nominations for Mohali’s Municipal Corporation and local body elections saw major political parties stage aggressive shows of strength, while rebel candidates filing as Independents added fresh uncertainty to the contest. (File Photo) With the nomination process concluding for the upcoming Municipal Corporation (MC) and local bodies elections, the political atmosphere in Mohali has intensified, with major parties putting up aggressive shows of strength on the final day of filing papers on Saturday.
Leaders and supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) reached the GMADA and SDM offices in large numbers along with their candidates, turning the nomination exercise into a political power show.
Kulwant Singh personally accompanied AAP candidates to the GMADA office and later to the SDM office for filing nominations. On the Congress side, former Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu oversaw the filing of nomination papers at the GMADA office, while former Mayor Amarjit Singh Jitti Sidhu remained present with party candidates at the SDM office. Leaders of the BJP and SAD also filed nomination papers with their candidates and supporters
However, the spotlight during the nomination process remained on rebel leaders who entered the fray as Independent candidates after being denied party tickets. In Balongi village, several leaders associated with different political parties filed their nominations as Independents, indicating simmering resentment over ticket distribution within party ranks.
With the nomination process now over, campaigning has picked up pace across Mohali. Candidates have started extensive door-to-door campaigns in various wards, while some aspirants are relying on smaller public interactions and personal outreach to connect with voters.
In Sector 69, Congress candidate Mansirat Kaur organised a children’s fair and cultural programme, where former Mayor Amarjit Singh Jitti Sidhu attended as the chief guest and sought votes for the candidate.
Meanwhile, MLA Kulwant Singh has also begun a series of ward-level meetings and public gatherings in support of AAP candidates.
Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Komal Mittal said a total of 1,175 aspirants filed nomination papers across various local bodies in district SAS Nagar till the last day of nominations.
The scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on May 18, while candidates can withdraw nominations till May 19.
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