MC poll: No nominations filed on Day 1 as parties yet to finalise candidates
No papers were filed on the first day of filing nominations as political parties were yet to finalise their candidates for the MC elections. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) released the first list of 37 candidates while the Congress will release its first list on Tuesday. The screening committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conducted interviews of ticket aspirants during a meeting at its office here on Monday. Short time for the elections is giving a difficult time to the parties.
Adding to parties’ woes, the aspirants for the upcoming MC elections will be required to get NOCs from five departments. Earlier, four NOCs were required from property tax, disposal, water and sewerage and licence branch departments. Now, the NOC from the building branch department has also been added, which is only proving extra burden for the aspirants.
A few aspirants on Monday reached the Zone D office of the Municipal Corporation to obtain no-objection certificates (NOCs) and alleged delay and non-issuance of the same.
An aspiring candidate said he was taken aback to know that NOC from the building branch was also required, which was never a requirement in the elections held in the past.
The elections will be held according to the new ward delimitation and opposition parties alleged lack of clarity and criticised the government for the deliberate move.
The new ward delimitation notified in 2023, divided Ludhiana into 95 wards, with 50 per cent of the wards reserved for women. Fourteen wards have been reserved for the SC category and two for BC categories.
In many wards where seats have been reserved for women, former councillors are now deciding to field women from their family as potential candidates.
District Congress Committee president Sanjay Talwar said AAP had done new ward delimitation, eyeing their own benefits.
“Ward delimitation has been done keeping in view strong aspirants from respective wards. This might give an edge to the ruling party but one thing is sure that they are not going to win as the people have seen the real face of AAP and will not repeat the Vidhan Sabha results. We are confident that the next Mayor will be from the Congress,” he said.
BJP district president Rajneesh Dhiman said the tight schedule of the elections was a direct indication that the ruling government wants to finish the elections in a hush-hush manner.
“We do not have the new voters’ list, as per the new ward delimitation. Elections are just a few days away and voter lists are yet to be prepared. What does it indicate,” he questions.
Political hoardings removed
With the model code of conduct imposed due to the MC elections, all political hoardings have been removed from the city. Big hoardings stating achievements of the government, which dot every corner of the city, have been removed.
