Panchkula MC poll tomorrow: Parties hold cards close to the chest

With a day left for MC elections to the posts of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Panchkula, parties are still keeping their cards close to chest about nomination of candidates. The MC will witness the elections on November 4, nearly four years after the formation of the MC House in December 2020.

The Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor elected will get to function on the posts for about a year as the House tenure will end in December next year.

Despite holding favourable positions, both the BJP and Congress have much to lose in case of minor shift in councillors’ support.

When the MC House was formed in 2020, it had 10 councillors and a Mayor from the BJP. The BJP had the support of two Jannayak Janata Party councillors to lead the House. The Congress took up the role of the Opposition with seven councillors. Omwati Punia of ward 11 was an Independent. The elections to the two posts were not held due to internal conflict among councillors.

Just before the Assembly elections, the JJP snapped its ties with the BJP. Later, Omwati Punia joined the Congress. Ward 13 councillor Sunit Singla met Congress leader Bhupinder Singh and also joined the party. Following him, Paramjeet Kaur also quit the BJP to join the Congress just before the Assembly poll.

At present, the Congress has the majority with 10 councillors. The BJP has eight councillors along with the Mayor, while the JJP has two councillors. While the BJP is the ruling party in the state, the MLA and MP from the region are both from the Congress.

The councillors are therefore tight-lipped about probable candidates.

Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal failed to name any candidate and said the councillors chosen by the party would contest the posts.

Sushil Garg of the JJP, without elaborating much, said they would do as per the party’s directions. Sunit Singla of the Congress said they were ready for the polls and positive about victory.

No anti-defection law for civic body poll

Councillors said the anti-defection law did not apply to corporation elections. As such, both the BJP and Congress are wary of those willing to jump the ship. The parties are keeping their cards closed. Councillors said the filing and withdrawal of nominations, and preparation of ballot papers will take place on November 4. As such, the parties are expected to announce their candidates on the day of polling only.