AAP Bags Amritsar Mayor's Post; Govt Machinery 'Misused': Cong

Congress state chief Warring says no voting took place, to move high court

- Surjit Singh

AMRITSAR: The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor in the first meeting of the newly elected House of Amritsar municipal corporation even as the opposition led by Congress, which emerged as the largest party in the civic body elections, cried foul and alleged that no voting was held.

Jatinder Singh alias Moti Bhatia was elected as mayor, while Priyanka Sharma and Aneeta Rani were elected as senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, respectively.

Terming it as "murder of democracy", Punjab Congress state unit chief and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that the party will move the Punjab and Haryana high court to challenge the polls.

A close contest was expected between the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the mayoral elections during the meeting in the auditorium of the Government medical college. However, after the oath-taking ceremony, the election process finished within a few minutes and no voting was held, Congress councillors alleged.

As per the councillors associated, the divisional commissioner (DC) who was to oversee the process, left the auditorium after announcing his receiver.

"The receiver announced names of AAP's candidates for the office-bearers post. Soon after the announcement, the AAP councillors left the venue," opposition councillors of the Congress, BJP and SAD alleged.