Punjab civic body elections: 2,231 file nominations across 5 MCs

For 95 seats in Ludhiana, 682 candidates filed their papers, 173 for 60 seats in Patiala, 448 for 85 seats in Jalandhar, 219 for 50 seats in Phagwara and 709 for 85 seats in Amritsar.

Amid Opposition parties’ allegations that workers of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) prevented them from filing nominations, nearly 2,231 filed papers for 977 wards across five municipal corporations, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Phagwara, the elections for which are to take place on December 21. The elections to 44 municipal councils and nagar panchayats are also to take place on the same day. Thursday was the last day for filing of papers.

Punjab Youth Congress president Mohit Mohindra (left) and others outside the district administrative complex during a melee amid nomination filing process in Patiala on Thursday.  (HT File)

For 95 seats in Ludhiana, 682 candidates filed their papers, 173 for 60 seats in Patiala, 448 for 85 seats in Jalandhar, 219 for 50 seats in Phagwara and 709 for 85 seats in Amritsar.

All major political parties, including the ruling AAP, Opposition Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have thrown their hat in the ring, making it a keenly watched contest.

Nomination papers ‘snatched’ in Patiala, probe ordered

In Patiala, a few candidates, mostly from the Congress, SAD and BJP, alleged that their papers were snatched when they heading to the deputy commissioner’s office to file their nominations. Patiala deputy commissioner Preeti Yadav said she had marked an inquiry.

One of the aspirants, Rajinder Kaur, said, “While I was on way to file my nomination papers, a miscreant snatched and tore my nomination paper. I had to contest as an independent after AAP denied me ticket from Ward 59.”

Police had to use mild force to disperse the workers of different political outfits who were reportedly having a scuffle.

BJP leader and former Patiala MP Preneet Kaur alleged that nominations of BJP candidates were torn by AAP workers with support from the police and the district administration.

“This is a broad daylight murder of democracy. In some cases, nomination papers were forcefully snatched inside the building of returning officer,” she said.

Punjab Youth Congress president Mohit Mohindra, who was present at the site, said, “Some AAP miscreants snatched papers from my hand and ran away. Private persons with the help of police thrashed opposition candidates at nomination centres and didn’t allow them to enter the building.”

SAD’s Patiala president Amit Rathi said, “Policemen were silent spectators while the nomination papers of opposition parties were being snatched and torn.”

Refuting the allegations, AAP’s Patiala MLA Ajitpal Kohli said, “It was the BJP whose workers snatched nomination papers of AAP candidates. They (BJP) are murdering the democracy. By and large, filing of nomination papers remained peaceful. I have already requested the DC and the Patiala SSP to probe the sporadic incidents of snatching and tearing of nomination papers.”

Similar allegations also came in from Ferozepur’s Makhu town. Congress leader and leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa alleged that only three out of 13 candidates vying for seats in the Makhu municipal council could file their papers as the party workers were roughed up by AAP workers.

He said AAP was rejected in all major cities during the Lok Sabha elections and thus it is using police and goons to win elections.

PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that only 20 out of 60 candidates of Congress managed to file papers in Patiala. At Dharamkot only six Congress candidates were allowed to filed nominations in 13 seats, while no party candidate was allowed to file papers in Ghanaur. “There was total lawlessness and police helped the AAP workers to snatch papers or deny entry to opposition candidates for nomination filing,” said Warring.

9 in fray for Hoshiarpur MC bypoll

Hoshiarpur As many as nine candidates have filed nomination papers for the byelection for three wards of the Hoshiarpur municipal corporation (MC). The AAP has fielded Rajeshwar Dyal Babbi, brother of former minister and Brahm Shankar Jimpa, from Ward 6. The seat got vacated after Jimpa became an MLA. To take on Babbi, the Congress has fielded Sunil Dutt Prashar who had contested from the same ward for the BJP in the last elections. The BJP has fielded a new face, Rajat Thakur, from this ward.

For Wards 7 and 27 (both reserved for women), which got vacated due to the death of incumbent councilors, AAP has picked Narinder Kaur and Sharanjit Kaur, Congress Paramjit Kaur and Davinder Kaur and BJP Sonika Nehra and Daisy, respectively.

(With inputs from Karam Prakash in Patiala & Harpreet Kaur in Hoshiarpur)