On HC direction, Rajpura MC office-bearers elected

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 22

BJP councillor Parveen Chabra was today elected president of Rajpura Municipal Council and Gurinder Pal Singh of SAD vice-president. The poll to elect the office-bearers had been delayed for the past several months. These were held on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The polls to elect the 29 councillors were held on February 25.

On a PIL which stated that the meeting to elect the office-bearers was being postponed due to “mysterious reasons”, the HC said, “There are provisions in the Municipal Act that if the oath is not taken, the elected member could be unseated. The ceremony cannot be prolonged. People who have elected are suffering.” Last week, the High Court issued notices to all councillors of the Rajpura Municipal Council and summoned the Patiala Deputy Commissioner.

The court was told that the meeting for the elections was recently fixed for July 16. However, none of the elected councillors attended the meeting. The meeting was earlier scheduled for March 16, March 21 and April 28.

Following the government’s submission, the High Court sought replies from the councillors and asked the Deputy Commissioner to attend the court on July 24, the next date of hearing.

Cabinet Minister Anil Joshi congratulated the elected members. The SAD and the BJP were at loggerheads, claiming they had right to the post of the president. However, following the intervention of the Chief Minister, it was decided that the BJP will get the top post, SAD the post of vice-president.