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Two months on, Panchkula MC yet to elect mayor’s deputies
According to advocate Deepanshu Bansal, Rule 71(1A) of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Election Rules, 1994, mandates that the election to the offices of the senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor shall be conducted after the constitution of the civic body
Panchkula
More than two months after the declaration of the municipal corporation (MC) election results and over one-and-a-half months after mayor Sham Lal Bansal took oath, Panchkula is yet to elect its senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. The delay has drawn criticism from the opposition, which has accused the BJP-led government of undermining the democratic rights of elected councillors.
Mayor Sham Lal Bansal was sworn in on May 28 in the presence of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini. However, the elections to the two key posts have not been scheduled so far.
The BJP is in a comfortable position to secure both posts after winning 17 of the 20 wards in the recent civic polls. The Congress won only one seat from Ward 18, while two Independent candidates were elected.
Congress councillor Amandeep Kaur of Ward 18 said elections for the two posts should be conducted without further delay. Echoing similar concerns, Manoj Aggarwal, urban district president of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the party’s former mayoral candidate, questioned the government and the administration over the prolonged delay
The posts have remained largely vacant since the municipal corporation was constituted. They were filled only once, in 2013, when the first MC House was elected. Congress leader Upinder Kaur Ahluwalia, who later joined the BJP, became the city’s first mayor, while SS Nanda was elected senior deputy mayor and Sunil Talwar deputy mayor. During the tenure of former mayor Kulbhushan Goyal, an election for the two posts scheduled in November 2024 was postponed after the joint commissioner, who was also the returning officer (RO), reportedly fell ill. The elections were never rescheduled.
When contacted, mayor Sham Lal Bansal said the decision on holding the elections would be taken by the chief minister. “The system is functioning smoothly. The elections will be held whenever it is considered necessary,” he said.
According to advocate Deepanshu Bansal, Rule 71(1A) of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Election Rules, 1994, mandates that the election to the offices of the senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor shall be conducted after the constitution of the civic body. It is mandatory in nature and is binding upon the authorities, he said.
