Mohali MC Polls: SAD move to form panel causes resentment, youth wing chief offers to quit

Ahead of the Municipal Corporation elections, SAD chief Sukhbir Sigh Badal has formed a five-member screening committee, including former Anandpur Sahib MP Professor Prem Singh Chandumajra, former mayor Kulwant Singh, Derabassi MLA N K Sharma, former councillor Kamaljeet Singh Ruby and Badal’s aide Charanjeet Singh Brar.

The committee will recommend names of possible candidates, following which the party will finalise on contestants. Some former councillors, however, said that certain members of the committee did not know enough about the city and thus, must not be included in the committee.

“Some senior local leaders were ignored, they should be in the committee. There are some members who do not know much about the city and the MC politics,” a former councillor said, on condition of anonymity.

The SAD had a majority in the last house, with over three councillors in the 50-member house.

While SAD Youth Wing (Urban) President Sohana offered to quit his post, speculations over his resignation from the party membership were also rife on Sunday. However, he said that he only wants to quit from the post and not the party. “It is an internal matter so I cannot share much details but yes, I want to quit as some things did not go the way the local leaders wanted ahead of the elections,” Parwinder Singh told The Indian Express.

Sources in the SAD told The Indian Express that some senior former councillors also raised objections over Charanjeet Brar and Kamaljeet Singh Ruby being in the screening committee.

Brar reportedly wanted to contest the Assembly elections from Mohali in 2017, but he was not given the ticket after opposition by local leaders.