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Local SAD leaders upset over constitution of ‘biased’ screening committee for Mohali MC elections
The former councillors said they didn’t accept the committee and were ready to contest the elections independently
Strong resentment prevailed over most of the former councillors of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) over the appointment of five members of the screening committee for the selection of candidates for the upcoming municipal corporation (MC) in Mohali likely scheduled in February next year. The elections will be held for 50 wards.
The former councillors said they didn’t accept the committee and were ready to contest the elections independently.
Recently, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal appointed a five-member committee including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, political adviser to SAD president Charanjeet Singh Brar, Dera Bassi MLA NK Sharma, former mayor Kulwant Singh, president of SAD (urban), Mohali, Kawaljit Singh Ruby.
Badal has also appointed Chandumajra and Brar as observers of Mohali district for the civic body elections.
Parvinder Singh Sohana, president of Youth Akali Dal, Mohali, said, “We will not accept Charanjeet Singh Brar as a member of the committee.”
Former senior vice-president of SAD (Mohali), Gurmeet Singh Ahluwalia, said, “We don’t accept this committee at all. We will only contest elections under the leadership of former mayor Kulwant Singh or we are ready to contest elections independently.”
Another former SAD councillor, RP Sharma, said, “It is a totally biased committee and we don’t accept it. Most of the councillors of SAD are not happy with the members and are ready to contest independently.”
When contacted, president of SAD (urban), Mohali, Kawaljit Singh Ruby, and committee member said, “The committee has been appointed by the party high command and we have to follow the instructions. We will hold a meeting with all the councillors and if there is any grievance, will sort it out. Our main aim is to win the elections.”
A four-cornered battle will be fought between the AAP, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), Congress and the BJP. The splinter Akali group floated by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa has opted out of the Mohali MC elections and will support Aam Aadmi Party candidates and independents.
In the 2015 elections, 27 councillors including 10 from the Azad group, 14 from Congress and two independent councillors elected Kulwant Singh as the mayor, but later in August 2017, he joined SAD.
Among the voters, around 25,000 belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category: five seats have been reserved for SC candidates. There are 43 general category seats, of which 23 are reserved for women and 20 for men.
