Gupta ensures plain sailing for loyalist Shorey Slug: Barnala MC president elected

BARNALA: Major industrialist and SAD general secretary Rajinder Gupta on Tuesday managed unopposed election of his loyalist Sanjiv Shorey to the post of Barnala municipal council president. He succeeded in roping in all the 31 newly-elected councillors, including three from opposition Congress, to get his aide Sanjiv Shorey picked as the civic body chief.
On Monday night, all councillors had given Gupta the right to elect the MC president during a dinner meeting. Few months ago, Shorey was selected as Akali Dal's Barnala (urban) unit chief. Councillor Raghbir Prakash of BJP was chosen as vice-president of Barnala civic body.
SAD had won 12 seats in the house of 31, its partner BJP had bagged three. Congress too had won three seats and 13 independent candidates also entered the house.
Congress councillor Mahesh Lota proposed the name of Shorey and BJP councillor Manju Sharma seconded it. Shorey' cousin Devinder Shory is two-time MP from Calgary North East constituency in Canada.