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Congress, SAD councillors team up to oust Bathinda mayor
The Congress councillors got a shot in the arm after four members of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) backed the motion making the exit of the woman mayor of Bathinda possible. A confidante of Manpreet Badal, Raman Goyal was removed from the post on Wednesday after she loses no-trust vote
Bathinda mayor Raman Goyal, a confidante of the former finance minister Manpreet Badal, was removed from the post on Wednesday after she failed in the no-confidence test brought by her former colleagues in the Congress party.
The Congress councillors got a shot in the arm after four members of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) backed the motion making the exit of the woman mayor of Bathinda possible.
The Congress had moved the motion in which 26 councillors voted to oust Goyal.
After the entire process, she told reporters at the Mayor office that she would approach the court as the due procedure was not followed.
“The no-confidence move was tabled and passed in the violation of rules. I will challenge it legally as the no-confidence motion can be proceeded further if two-thirds of the total strength of the house or 34 members were present in the meeting. But there were only 31 members present as 18 councillors are with me,” she claimed.
Municipal commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray said in the 50-member house, today 30 councillors were present and participated in voting by show of hands while Raman Goyal and others opted to abstain from the voting exercise.
“Today’s proceeding was held in accordance with the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act. I telephonically called the mayor at 3 pm and she categorically said she is not interested in attending the no-confidence motion. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Jagroop Gill and lone AAP councillor also abstained from voting,” said Parray.
The no-confidence motion had a political significance as the state Congress president and Gidderbaha legislator Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was personally overseeing the political operation for the last several months to remove Goyal from the mayoral seat.
In February, Goyal and four other councillors were expelled from the Congress after they kept expressing loyalty to Manpreet Badal, who joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) after quitting the Congress in January this year.
Stakes were high as the camps of Warring and Manpreet were active to outdo each other.
Deputy mayor Master Harmandar Singh Sidhu said the Congress thanked the SAD councillors for extending support for the motion.
“New mayor will be elected after consultation with the state party leadership and fellow councillors,” said Sidhu.
However, today’s development irked the SAD leadership, and they expressed displeasure over four councillors teaming with the Congress to unseat the mayor.
The halqa in-charge of SAD, Bathinda urban, Iqbal Singh Dhillon said he would apprise the state leadership and demand action against the four councillors.
“SAD can never team up with the Congress and the AAP. It is against the party’s move to remove the mayor,” said Dhillon.
SAD councillor Harpal Dhillon said they voted in favour of the no-confidence motion as it was a common sentiment of the residents to remove the mayor.
“She was a puppet and thrust upon the city. We followed the popular perception that Goyal was inefficient and should be replaced with a new leader,” said Dhillon.
