Congress takes top two posts in Rampura Phul civic body

BATHINDA: In a setback to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Congress captured Ramp ur a Phul Munic ipal Council( MC) on Friday as two SAD council lo rs joined the Congress party and become president and vice-president of the urban body. Election for the post of president and vice president of the MC was held on Friday.

Charanjit Singh Jatana was elected as the new president while Man deep K ark ar a has been elected as new vice-president of the urban body. Both J at ana and Karkara were elected as SAD councillors but they joined Congress on Friday.

The House had passed a no-confidence motion against former president Sunil Kumar Bitta, a close confidant of former minister Si kan der Singh Maluka on June 8.

Officially, the Congress has no council lorin the urban civic body as the party had boycotted the civic body polls held in February 2015, alleging misuse of power by the SAD.

As many as 15 of 21 council lo rs were present in the house meeting while Congress Rampura Phul MLA Gurpreet Singh Kan- gar who is ex-officio member of house also took part in the meet. As many as 11 councillors voted in favour of new president while election of vice president was held unanimously.

Bathinda DC Diprava Lakra said since the posts of president and vice-president were co-terminus, election was held for vicepresident’ s post also after no- confidence motion was passed against the MC president.

Maluka claimed that Punjab and Haryana HC had granted stay on the president’ selection on Friday and Bitta submitted affidavits, with the district administration.

Late in the evening, Bitta said the court had granted a stay on the elections of civic body president till the next date of hearing on October 30.

JATANA WAS ELECTED AS PRESIDENT, KARKARA AS VICEPRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL; BOTH WERE ELECTED AS SAD COUNCILLORS BUT JOINED CONGRESS