Panchkula, June 9
The elections to the posts of MC President and Vice-President have been stalled yet again. Even as 15 councillors, cutting across party lines, held meetings with the OSD to the Chief Minister, Dr K.V. Singh, for “unaniomously” electing the President, five Congress councillors challenged the decision to hold the elections on June 11.
Congress councillors owing allegiance to Mr Chander Mohan — Mr V.K. Kapoor, Mr R.K. Kakkar, Ms Renuka Rai Walia, Mr Pawan Mittal and Mr Om Prakash — filed an application in a local court requesting for a stay on the municipal council meeting scheduled for June 11. They alleged there were certain procedural lapses in holding the meeting on June 11.
The councillors have alleged that the time given for the meeting is too short (two days), when at least seven days should have been given for holding the meeting. They have also said that the elections are being held in the absence of the local MLA, Mr Chander Mohan, and MP, Ms Selja Kumari, who are both members of the House. They have said that there is no urgency to hold meeting in a hurry.
The court has issued a notice to the state for tomorrow.
It may be noted that the posts of the President and the Vice-President here have been vacant for the past two months — after the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supported president Seema Chaudhary was removed through a no-confidence motion.
Parleys for the top job were on amongst councillors from the faction owing allegiance to the local Member of Parliament, Ms Selja Kumari, and the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Of the 18 Congress councillors, only nine were present in the meeting. The remaining nine-member group owing allegiance to the Deputy Chief Minister and local MLA, Mr Chander Mohan, was seemingly sidelined as most of them were not intimated about today’s meeting in advance.
From 11 am, the OSD to Chief Minister, Dr K.V. Singh, unaware of the developments, held meetings with Congress councillors, including four councillors from the INLD camp and one BJP councillor. It was decided that the President and the Vice-President would be elected “unanimously”, by rising over party politics for the betterment of the township.
Interestingly, councillors from the Chander Mohan camp said they were not informed about today’s meeting in advance and they were asked to join in the deliberations while the meeting was going on. Eight of these councillors held a separate meeting today at the residence of Mr Chander Mohan.
All 18 Congress councillors in the 31-member MC House had earlier authorised Mr Chander Mohan (who by virtue of being the local MLA is also a member of the House, along with local MP) to appoint the President. However, dillydallying over the matter for two months led to councillors’ shifting loyalties to factions supported by the local MP and the Chief Minister.
