On the last day of campaigning for the Mohali Municipal Corporation elections on Sunday, candidates of various parties and independents put up their full might to increase their chances of winning.
Most of the candidates relied on roadshows and corner meetings to reach out to a maximum number of electorate.
AAP focused on corner meetings while the Congress held a show of strength in its strongholds through roadshows. Independents relied on door-to-door campaigning and personal interaction. Phone calls and social media appeals were the most extensively used medium for campaigning today.
Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh of AAP campaigned for Kulwinderjit Kaur (Ward No. 7), son Sarabjit Singh Samana (Ward No. 42), Arvinder Kaur (Ward No. 5), Satvinder Singh Mithu (Ward No. 26) and Jasvir Kaur Atli (Ward No. 27) and hailed the success of government steps such as free electricity and mohalla clinics. He said the first mohalla clinic of the state was launched in Phase 5 of Mohali.
Ward No. 5 candidate Arvinder Kaur (AAP) held a roadshow in her ward and canvassed in Phase 2. She said she had been getting tremendous support from local residents. “I will work for the betterment of area residents with full dedication,” she said. Former Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu held a roadshow in Phase 7 and 10 in support of the Congress candidates.
In Phase 7 of Ward No. 10, Congress candidate Kanwarbir Singh Ruby and his supporters campaigned in marla houses. Congress workers alleged that they caught an SUV, with Punjab Police sticker, uniform of an ASI and liquor. Ruby alleged that one of the two occupants of the SUV pointed a pistol at him but fled the spot when his supporters got agitated. The police reached the spot and controlled the situation.
DSP City-1 Gurcharn Singh said the vehicle had been impounded and the suspect detained for questioning.
Candidates skip garbage, waterlogging issues
The third tier polls in democracy are primarily about civic issues such as roads, streetlights and sewerage, but the candidates of the Congress as well as AAP were silent about these. The most pressing issue confronting the Mohali MC is garbage disposal, which every candidate avoided to discuss. The streets, roads and parks remain littered with garbage.
BJP leader Sanjay Tandon on Saturday participated in a programme organised in Sector 117, TDI Mohali, in support of BJP candidate Sherry Ahuja. Addressing the gathering, Tandon said, “Only the BJP can ensure a holistic and sustainable growth of Mohali by strengthening basic amenities and enhancing the quality of life for citizens.”
Meanwhile, AAP candidate from Ward No. 6 Dr Sunny Singh Ahluwalia, who is general secretary of Punjab AAP and chairman of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, received huge support from local residents during his roadshow. Former MLA Gurpreet Singh GP also participated in the roadshow.
