Bathinda Mayor loses no-confidence motion

Bathinda, November 15

Bathinda Municipal Corporation Mayor Raman Goyal, a confidant of former Finance Minister and BJP core committee member Manpreet Singh Badal, today lost a confidence motion.

Out of 50 members, 26 councillors of the Congress, four of SAD and one of AAP, including AAP MLA Jagroop Singh Gill, attended the House. Goyal and councillors supporting her remained in the Mayor’s office.

In a meeting held under the chairmanship of DC Shaukat Ahmed Parray, 30 votes were polled in favour of the motion. MLA Gill and lone AAP councillor Sukhdeep Singh Dhillon did not participate in the voting. Out of five councillors of the Akali Dal, four voted in favour of the motion.

Around 15 minutes before the meeting, Rajan Garg, Bathinda urban chief, Congress, reached the MC office in a bus with 26 councillors.

Terming the House meeting illegal, Goyal said she would approach the court. She said the Opposition needed a support of 34 councillors, but they had 30 members.

Parray said the meeting was legal and the two-third majority clause was applicable in the Municipal Council Act, but not in the Municipal Corporation Act. A no-confidence motion had been passed, he said.