After nearly a year’s wait, Gurgaon residents look forward to MCG elections

Court allowed state to hold the polls after being told that a notification has been issued for the boundaries of 35 wards

It’s been nearly a year that the city has been bereft of elected councillors representing the citizens in the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG). Now, the long wait is finally over. On a day the Punjab and Haryana high court cleared the decks for the civic elections, the residents, politicians and social activists voiced relief and delight over a decision they had been waiting for long.

Even before the court could decide on the delimitation issue surrounding the MCG polls, some BJP leaders put up posters across the city in anticipation of being handed tickets to contest the elections. (Parveen Kumar/HT FILE)

“This decision by Punjab and Haryana high court was long-awaited. In the absence of councillors, there is no way of keeping a check on the functioning of MCG officials and it also reflects poorly on the way the city is run and the state of basic civic services. The order has come as respite for residents. It’s good that we’ll finally have representatives we can approach in time of need and have them redress our grievances,” Sashank Srinivasan, a resident of Nirvana Country, said.

Social activists, who had filed a petition at the high court, said they would welcome the directive only once they are assured that their concerns over the conduct of the MCG polls have been addressed by the court.

“Our petition had objected to the selection of only BJP leaders in the ad hoc committee constituted for demarcation of wards, the population figure mentioned in the original order of urban local bodies and the eventual realignment of wards. The order of the urban local bodies pegged the population at below 10 lakh. If our concerns have, indeed, been addressed by the court, then we have no reason not to welcome to directive clearing the elections. We hope the polls will be free and fair,” RS Rathee, president, RWA, Qutub Enclave in DLF Phase 1, said.

Read I Gurgaon: Election commission offers to hold MCG polls on previous ward positions

For politicians, the decision gives their party a chance to contest the upcoming elections and bring the promised change to their respective wards.

“We welcome the high court’s order. The order also reflects the people’s support for the proposed realignment of wards. The decision further paves way for the state government to hold the election as and when it deems fit and enable people elect their representatives to the MCG,” GL Sharma, a senior BJP leader who was part of ad hoc committee constituted for demarcation of wards, said.