Mohali Municipal Corporation poll fight gets stiffer
Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service
Mohali, January 30
Around half a dozen wards in the Mohali Municipal Corporation would be witnessing a five-cornered contest as a separate group, led by former Deputy Mayor Manjit Singh Sethi, is contesting the MC elections in their respective wards as Independent candidates.
While talking to The Tribune, Sethi said he, along with four other candidates, would be contesting the elections as Independents. Earlier too in 2015, they had contested on their own and won in their respective wards.
No dues certificate not mandatory
The Additional District Electoral Officer has clarified that it is not necessary for the candidates to submit no dues certificate from the civic body for filing their nomination papers. Under the Punjab State Election Commission Act, 1994, it is not mandatory for any candidate to file such certificate. It has come to the notice of the officers concerned that a large number of aspiring candidates and their covering candidates are applying for this certificate.
Sethi said candidates who would be contesting the elections along with him as Independents included Manmohan Singh Lang, Avtar Singh Walia and Satvir Singh Dhanoa. He said one more person would be contesting the elections with them and his name would be announced soon.
The former Deputy Mayor said they had sought no support from any political party. The residents of their respective wards were satisfied with development works carried out by them during the past five years.
The Congress, the SAD, the BJP and the Azad Group-AAP alliance would be contesting the elections in all 50 wards. In 2015, the SAD and the BJP had jointly contested the elections but after the SAD parted ways, its alliance partner BJP decided to contest the polls on its own.
The SAD have announced its candidates for 33 wards while the Congress has declared candidates for all 50 wards.
The elections would be held in 50 wards with an estimated 2.36 lakh electorate in Mohali city.
