Parveen Saini becomes Hoshiarpur’s first woman mayor

AAP retains all three top posts in 50-member House; outgoing mayor Surinder Kumar Chhinda made senior deputy mayor and Chechi deputy mayor

Parveen Saini was on Friday elected the first woman mayor of the Hoshiarpur Municipal Corporation, with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) retaining all three top posts despite dissent from some of its councillors over the selection of candidates.

Saini, in her 60s, a senior councillor with six consecutive electoral victories, was elected as mayor. (HT File)

Saini, in her 60s, a senior councillor with six consecutive electoral victories, was elected as mayor, while outgoing mayor Surinder Kumar Chhinda was made senior deputy mayor and first-time councillor Sandip Chechi was elected deputy mayor.

The 50-member corporation has a clear AAP majority. In the July municipal corporation polls, AAP won 35 wards, while the Congress won nine, the BJP three and Independents three.

The mayoral election was held at the corporation office in the presence of Jalandhar divisional commissioner, Hoshiarpur MC commissioner, cabinet minister and election observer Balbir Singh and local MLA Brahm Shankar Jimpa. Voting for all three posts was conducted by show of hands.

Saini received the support of 26 councillors, while 31 backed Chhinda as senior deputy mayor and 20 supported Chechi for deputy mayor.

Before the election, Balbir Singh and Jimpa held a meeting with AAP councillors and asked them to abide by the party’s decision, but the names of the candidates were not disclosed. The polls, however, exposed discontent within the ruling party.

AAP councillors Jaswant Rai, Balwinder Kumar, Balwinder Katna and Mukhi Ram questioned the selection of the three candidates, alleging that the names of the candidates had already been finalised by the party leadership without consulting the elected representatives and that seniority had been overlooked while selecting candidates.

Rai is a two-time councillor, Kumar a four-time councillor and Mukhi Ram has been elected to the House for the second time. They said the statutory procedure required the names of the mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor to be proposed and seconded by elected representatives.

Rai described the alleged practice as “lifafa (envelope) culture”, warning that it could erode the party’s credibility if councillors were not consulted on important appointments.

Responding to their unhappiness, Balbir Singh said it was the party’s prerogative to decide whom to field. “Everyone can stake a claim, but it is for the party to see whom to elect,” he said.

Chhinda, who had served as mayor in the previous term, was also disappointed with the decision to make him senior deputy mayor. He had wanted another term as mayor but was instead asked to accept the secondary post. His disappointment was evident after the election, as he did not allow his supporters to come forward and garland him, unlike Saini and Chechi.

New mayor’s background

Saini is a homemaker and has studied up to matriculation. Her family has no political background. She began her electoral career with the BJP, winning two municipal elections on its ticket, before joining the Congress and winning three more MC elections. She joined AAP after her last victory and was made senior deputy mayor in the previous term.