Police use mild force against protesting farmers in Sirsa

Rohtak Farmers staged a demonstration in Sirsa on Wednesday, the day election to local municipal council’s chairperson took place

Rohtak Farmers staged a demonstration in Sirsa on Wednesday, the day election to local municipal council’s chairperson took place. Farmers in good numbers assembled for a showdown near the civic body’s office where BJP’s Lok Sabha member Sunita Duggal and the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) local MLA Gopal Kanda were expected to arrive.

Police personnel trying to stop farmers from reaching the Sirsa municipal council office where election for chairperson’s post was going on Wednesday. (Manoj Dhaka/HT)

Police had a tough time managing the tense situation and used mild force and water cannons to disperse the protesters who broke the barricades. The police, however, managed to escort MP Duggal and MLA Kanda out of the MC office.

HLP-backed candidate wins Sirsa MC’s top post

Haryana Lokhit Party-backed Reena Sethi defeated BJP candidate Suman Bamania by two votes to become chairperson of Sirsa municipal council. Sethi secured 17 votes against Bamania’s 15.

Sirsa SDM Jayvir Yadav, who was the election officer for the election, said that out of 31 councillors, one Baljit Kaur did not turn up. Local MP Sunita Duggal and MLA Gopal Kanda also voted, taking the total number of votes to 32.

Election for the Sirsa municipal council were held in September 2016. A BJP councillor Sheela Sehgal was elected chairperson in December 2016. However, the chairperson faced rebellion and 22 councilors from different parties adopted a no-confidence motion against her on August 1, 2018, and she was removed from the post.