E-Paper
After withdrawal ends: Only 695 of 1,061 remain in fray for Mohali civic bodies’ elections
This represents around 65.5% of the 1,061 nominations found valid after scrutiny, indicating that several political parties had initially fielded covering candidates across the municipal corporation and various municipal councils in the district
The electoral contest for the upcoming local bodies’ elections in Mohali district has narrowed following the withdrawal of nominations. According to district election officer-cum-deputy commissioner Komal Mittal, only 695 candidates remain in the fray after 364 withdrawals.
This represents around 65.5% of the 1,061 nominations found valid after scrutiny, indicating that several political parties had initially fielded covering candidates across the municipal corporation and various municipal councils in the district. According to the revised figures, two candidates have already been elected unopposed in separate municipal councils.
The keenest contest continues in the Mohali municipal corporation, where 227 candidates remain in the race for 50 wards after 84 aspirants withdrew their nominations.
Of the 12 nominations rejected during scrutiny for the Mohali municipal corporation elections, none belonged to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), making it the only major party to retain all its nominees. The BJP accounted for four rejections, with two each in wards 33 and 35.
Its candidates Sangita Sood, 60; Neha, 34; Aanchal Sharma,52, and Aarti Sharma, 26, were rejected. The party also did not field candidates in ward 17 (SC women) and ward 43 (women), leaving it to contest only 21 of the 25 women-reserved wards, including three SC women wards (5, 17 and 29).
Congress lost two nominees, Davinder Kaur and Jatinder Kaur, in women ward 39, making it the only ward they are not contesting from. SAD saw two rejections, with Harjinder Kaur, 32, from ward 35 and Taranpreet Singh, 27, from ward 50 losing their nominations.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) district president Parvinder Singh Sohana said the party had consciously chosen not to contest in some wards because it was backing Independent leaders, including Harshdeep Singh Shergill (ward 16) and Paramjit Singh Kahlon (ward 10).
Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) sole nominee Vishal Singh was rejected over a nomination fee issue. State BSP president, Avtar Singh Karimpuri, alleged Singh was not given clear information regarding the nomination fee despite carrying the required amount, leading to his rejection on technical grounds.
In Dera Bassi municipal council, 69 candidates withdrew from the contest. One candidate from ward no. 19 was declared elected unopposed, leaving 79 candidates to contest the remaining 18 wards. This development effectively reduces the number of active contests in the council while signalling consensus or lack of opposition in at least one ward.
A similarly uncontested result occurred in Lalru municipal council, where one candidate from ward no. 9 was declared elected unopposed. Following the withdrawal of 46 nominations, 61 candidates remain in the running for the remaining 16 wards.
In Zirakpur municipal council, which is expected to witness close contests, 124 candidates remain in the race for 31 wards after 88 nominations were withdrawn. Zirakpur has the highest number of withdrawals among all civic bodies in the district.
Nayagaon municipal council will see 87 candidates contesting in 21 wards after 47 withdrawals, while Kurali municipal council has 77 candidates left in the fray for 17 wards following the withdrawal of 16 nominations. Meanwhile, Banur municipal council has 40 candidates contesting from 13 wards after 14 aspirants pulled out of the race.
The local body elections are scheduled to be held on May 26, with counting and result declaration scheduled for May 29.
