Race for mayor’s post hots up in Amritsar

Former leader of oppn in the MC House Rajkanwalpreet Singh Lucky, chief of state Cong women wing Mamta Dutta, Karamjit Rintu and Vikas Soni main contenders for the position

With the Congress emerging victorious in the municipalcorporation(MC)elections, by bagging 64 out of 85 seats in Amritsar, the race for the mayoral post is on between the newlyelected party councillors.

The councillors have evidently intensified lobbying to lay their claim on the post of the first citizen of the city. Besides, various Congress MLAs from Amritsar are also making efforts to ensure that their close aide or relative is given reins of the civic body.

BJP’s Bakhshi Ram Arora was the mayor since past five years. However, neither his party, nor he could win in the polls this time.

In segments of the party, former leader of opposition in the MC house, Rajkanwalpreet Singh Lucky; president of Congress state women wing Mamta Dutta; Karamjit Singh Rintu and Vikas Soni are being named as the main contenders for the position.

In the 2012 MC elections, Congress faced a big debacle as it could only win four seats. In such a situation, Lucky emerged as the most vocal face of the party in the House and he played the leader of opposition. During the meetings of the House, he was seen countering the SAD-BJP on various issues. On such basis of his service as the opposition leader and service of his other family members as councillors, he is convincing the party high command that he is the most deserving person for the post.

On the other hand, Dutta, who has been a councillor twice before, has been elected from the Congress for the first time. For her services, Captain Amarinder Singh, who was president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) at that time, appointed her as the chief of women wing one-and-half-year ago. Apart from this, Congress’ new strategy of giving more representation to women also goes in her favour in the race.

The third candidate, Rintu, has been elected as a councillor for

the first time. He is considered a prominent face of the party in the city. He contested the 2012 assembly elections against BJP’s Anil Joshi from Amritsar north segment, though he could not win.

During the assembly elections too, he sought a party ticket from the same segment. However, Sunil Dutti managed to get the ticket and emerged victorious from the Congress. Now, this is being speculated that the party might have promised him another important post (such as mayor) at that time.

Further, Vikas Soni, although a new comer, is the youth face of the party in the city and is a close relative of four-time Congress

MLA from Amritsar Central segment Om Parkash Soni.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that Damandeep Singh, who came in the Congress fold from BJP before the last assembly elections, is also making efforts in this direction. He is close to Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Raman Bakhshi, who is close to Congress MLA (Amritsar West) Raj Kumar Verka also reportedly presented his case.

However, party sources said that whether to choose a female face, a Sikh face or somebody else would solely be decided by the party high command and a decision would be reached soon.