Lawfully, Patiala Requires A Mayor Before March 28

Even as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) doesn’t seem to be in a rush to settle on a new mayor for the Patiala municipal corporation after the ex mayor, Jaspal Singh Pardhan, had to leave abruptly, the party cannot postpone taking a verdict for an indefinite period, as the civic body rules necessitate that a new mayor be chosen before March 28 at any rate.

As per Section 38 (3) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act-1976, the corporation is adhered to hold the poll for a permanent mayor in a period of 30 days from the date of resignation of the earlier one.

“In the incidence of any casual post in the mayor office, senior deputy mayor or deputy mayor, the corporation shall in a period of 30 days of the happening of such vacancy choose one of its associates as mayor or senior deputy mayor or deputy mayor, as the case may be, and every individual so chosen shall hold office for the rest of his predecessor’s period of office,” reads Section 38 (3) of the act.

Corporations’ joint commissioner Najar Singh said Jaspal Pardhan forwarded their resignations on February 25 repectively; thus the poll has to be carried out on or before March 25.

By now, senior deputy mayor Jagdish Rai Chaudhary is functioning as mayor.

In the meantime, forceful lobbying has commenced among SAD councilors to detain the mayoral position. As the Badals will have the last word in the matter, applicants have commenced looking for appointments with their advisers within the party high command.

At the present time, ex mayor Ajit Pal Singh Kohli is regarded as the top-runner for the position as he enjoys the backing of the maximum number of councilors. Of the 33 SAD councillors, Kohli has the back up of around ten.