Two councillors, both sons of sitting AAP MLAs, have resigned from the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation’s Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC), days before the Punjab and Haryana high court is scheduled to hear a petition challenging their appointments to the panel.
Councillor Aman Bagga, son of Ludhiana North MLA Madan Lal Bagga, and councillor Yuvraj Singh Sidhu, son of Atam Nagar MLA Kulwant Singh Sidhu, stepped down from the committee on Monday.
The case is scheduled for hearing on August 7.
The appointments came under legal scrutiny after Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti approached the Punjab and Haryana high court, alleging that the constitution of the F&CC did not comply with provisions of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act and related rules.
In his petition, Bhatti stated that the General House, through Agenda Number 106 passed on March 24, had authorised the mayor to appoint members to the committee. However, he alleged that the subsequent appointments of Bagga and Sidhu were contrary to the statutory framework governing the committee’s formation.
During the previous hearing, the court directed the mayor to file an affidavit and submit details of decisions taken by the committee before the matter comes up again on August 7.
{{/usCountry}}During the previous hearing, the court directed the mayor to file an affidavit and submit details of decisions taken by the committee before the matter comes up again on August 7.
{{/usCountry}}The two councillors announced their resignations through social media posts, stating that the ongoing legal dispute had affected the functioning of the committee and delayed key development works.
They said their resignations had been submitted on July 30 but were not made public immediately due to the sanitation workers’ strike and the resulting civic crisis.
Stating that the city’s interests should take precedence over individual positions, the councillors said they had chosen to step aside to ensure development work was not affected further.
Bhatti described the resignations as a “victory of the Constitution and the rule of law”, claiming that the legal challenge had exposed attempts to bypass statutory provisions governing the committee’s composition.
His petition also raises concerns over alleged political interference in municipal affairs and the use of “anticipatory approvals” for tender clearances.
BJP district president and municipal councillor Sunil Moudgil, meanwhile, claimed that the local government department had already revoked the appointments and alleged that the resignations were aimed at creating a political narrative ahead of the court hearing.
“The resignations are merely a political stunt. The government had already withdrawn the appointments and the relevant order will be placed before the High Court on August 7,” Moudgil said.