Chaos prevailed at the Kharar SDM office on Saturday afternoon as more than 100 candidates, along with supporters, gathered at the SDM office to file nomination papers for the Kharar Municipal Council polls despite the High Court deferring the polls.
A petition had raised the issue of residents being deprived of their voting and electoral rights due to incomplete delimitation of newly added areas in six villages. The petitioners had contended that several areas included within the Kharar Municipal Council (MC) limits after the 2021 delimitation exercise had still not been delimited into wards, even as the process stood frozen following a Central notification effective from January 1.
Around 103 nominations of candidates from AAP, Congress, BJP, SAD and independents were filed till 3 pm, as no written orders from the Election Commission or the High Court were reportedly received, after which officials started taking the nominations.
Candidates started gathering at the office around 1:30 pm, after which, seeing the rush, tokens were issued to candidates to file their nominations.
Several candidates claimed that their nominations were not accepted after 3 pm.
A total of 1,175 aspirants filed their nomination papers till the last day of nominations for the upcoming Local Bodies Elections in the district.
The highest number of nominations was received for Mohali Municipal Corporation, where 324 candidates filed their papers. Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh’s son Paramjit Singh Samana, sitting councillor, filed his nomination papers.
Former health minister Balbir Sidhu’s son, Kanwardeep Singh Ruby, filed his papers from ward No. 10. Rebel Congress leader Gagandeep Singh Dhaliwal has also filed his nomination from ward No. 10.
Dhaliwal’s wife, Balraj Kaur Dhaliwal, has filed her nomination from ward No.33. Acting Punjab Mahila Congress president Baljit Kaur Dhaliwal filed her nomination papers from ward No. 37.
The other local bodies recorded the following number of nominations:
Municipal Council Zirakpur (259), Municipal Council Lalru (131), Municipal Council Kurali ( 99), Municipal Council Banur ( 56), Municipal Council Dera Bassi ( 162), Municipal Council Nayagaon (144). Scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on May 18, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is May 19.
