Court to take up delay in MC results notification today
JALANDHAR: Challenging the “legal and moral” authority of Jalandhar mayor Rakesh Rathour to preside over house meetings since the former did not contest the municipal corporation (MC) polls last month, a Jalandhar resident had moved the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking directions to the Punjab State Election Commission for “immediately” notifying the MC polls results to enable formation of the new house.
The civil writ petition will come up for hearing before an HC bench headed by acting chief justice Jasbir Singh on Tuesday.
Samir Seth, in his petition, said the polls for Jalandhar MC were held on June 10 and the results were declared same day. Though 60 people have been elected councillors, the poll panel has not notified results.
“Thus, the new house is unable to hold its monthly meetings as per law. On the other hand, the members of the earlier house do not have any moral or legal authority to transact the MC business, as they were rendered “caretakers” on announcement of the schedule for general elections,” he said, adding that the “democratic” values were put to stake for vested political interests.
“The term of the earlier MC house will expire on September 10. The local bodies department is unlikely to direct holding of first meeting of the newly-elected house before September-end. Thus, the stalemate pertaining to the functioning of the civic body shall continue for three months,” he contended.
The poll panel shall require notifying the results as soon as
FOUR CITIES YET TO GET NEW MAYORS; JALANDHAR RESIDENT SEEKS DIRECTIONS TO POLL PANEL
possible while the new house has to be constituted within one month from the date of such notification, legal experts said. “The election of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor will also be conducted during the first meeting of the house,” the petitioner said.
The situation is similar in Ludhiana, Amritsar and Patiala.
The petitioner requested the court to settle down question of law on whether the earlier members of the house are not entitled to hold the statutory meetings, after the conduct of general elections of municipal corporation, Jalandhar, the results of which have been declared, although not officially notified by the state election commission. Sources said the local bodies department has decided not to dissolve the existing house in four cities since the mayors concerned had prevailed upon local bodies minister Chunni Lal Bhagat on the issue.
Amritsar mayor Shawet Malik lost to first-timer Gurinder Singh Rishi of Congress in the polls but was still enjoying the position of first citizen. On the other hand, Rathour preferred not to contest this time, but he is still availing benefits of the top MC post.
Rathour said he has no plans to resign on his own. “The fiveyear term of the house can’t be curtailed while the newly-elected councillors will get full term from date of their first meeting. I will, however, abide by any decision of the state government to dissolve the house,” he added.