Ludhiana: Civic body to elect 2 members to key finance panel today

Election follows HC order after Congress councillor challenged mayor’s nominations to the two seats as unfair

The municipal corporation House will meet on Monday after a four-month gap to elect two councillors to the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC), following the Punjab and Haryana high court’s decision to quash the nominations to the two vacant seats by mayor Inderjit Kaur.

The Congress has fielded Gaurav Bhatti, Ward 26 councillor, while the BJP has nominated Ruchi Gulati, from Ward 73. (HT photo)

The F&CC comprises the mayor, senior deputy mayor, deputy mayor, municipal commissioner and two elected councillors. The two councillor seats have remained vacant after Congress councillor from Ward 26 Gaurav Bhatti challenged the mayor’s nomination of the sons of two sitting legislators to the committee in the Punjab and Haryana high court.

The court subsequently directed the civic body to hold a fair election before September 11. The civic body had sought August 25 as the election date, arguing that several development works were pending and that having a fully constituted F&CC would help expedite them.

The election will fill the two elected-member positions on the F&CC, which plays a key role in the civic body’s financial and development-related decisions.

The Congress has fielded Bhatti, while the BJP has nominated Ruchi Gulati, councillor from Ward 73. The Aam Aadmi Party had not announced its candidate till the time of filing this report.

As per the court’s directions, the election will be conducted in accordance with Section 42(4) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, and the proceedings will be videographed.

Bhatti on Monday wrote to municipal commissioner Ojasvi Alankar, seeking safeguards against political influence during the voting. “No ruling-party MLA or other influential political person associated with the ruling party should be allowed to remain in the voting area. Such a step is necessary to ensure that councillors are able to vote without any influence,” Bhatti said.

Meanwhile, mayor Inderjeet Kaur has reportedly cut short her family trip to the UK to attend the election. She was scheduled to be there from August 15 to 30 but she returned on August 22.

The mayor did not respond to multiple calls and messages seeking comment.