Mohali gets its first municipal corporation with hung house

For controlling the corporation, a party should have the support of 26 members in the house which will include Congress MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu as an ex-officio member.

Kulwant Singh was evasive when asked about his future line. “It is too early to say anything. In politics, anything is possible,” he remarked.
The SAD-BJP combine ruled out partnering with the rebel group, but it was hopeful of winning over the independents and SAD leaders claimed that several supporters of Kulwant Singh were ready to defect.

“Who says the group has bagged 11 seats? They have only seven winners while there are six independent candidates with no affiliation to any group. We have 22 members, and will hopefully become 23 tomorrow after the high court announces the result of ward number 47. We will need the support of three or four independents, which is assured. There is no chance of seeking support from Kulwant Singh, who indulged in buying votes with money and drugs,” said SAD halqa in-charge Balwant Singh Ramoowalia.

On the other hand, Congress MLA Sidhu said, “We’re open to accepting support from Kulwant Singh’s group. They have been let down by the SAD and they are against the government. We’re glad to have won 14 seats in spite of the misuse of government machinery, bogus voting, and use of police to threaten people by the Akali Dal.’’

However, sources in the ‘Azad group’ said that they would back any side which would support Kulwant Singh as the mayoral candidate. That means the Congress dream of controlling the municipal corporation would not be easily fulfilled.

Kulwant Singh, who is a former president of the municipal council, won from ward number 49, with no SAD-BJP candidate contesting against him. His son Sarabjit Singh, 24, a first-time contestant, won against independent candidate Niranjan Singh in ward number 25.

The counting was held at Shivalik Public School in Phase 6 (Sector 56) and the results declared at 10 am. Soon, celebrations by winning candidates began as their supporters took out processions in their wards.

Two independent candidates — Manjit Sethi and Harwinder Kaur Lang — were the only winners without affiliation with any party or group. Both of them are former Akali members.

NUMBERS GAME

SAD – 16
BJP – 6
Congress – 14
Azad group – 11
Independents – 2
Total – 49
Result pending – 1
Ex-officio member MLA Balbir Sidhu

RESULT LEAKED

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered election officials not to declare the result of ward number 47, where the nomination of Akali candidate Sukhdev Singh Patwari was accepted at the eleventh hour, and to produce the result before it in a sealed cover. However, the result was leaked and it became an open secret that Patwari had won.