Amit Bathla Tribune News Service Panchkula December 3 Finally the State Election Commission announced the date of elections to the Panchkula Municipal Corporation months after the Haryana Government approved the bifurcation of the civic body paving the way for Kalka and Pinjore to have a separate council. The polling to elect the Mayor and councillors in 20 wards of the MC will be held on December 27 from 8 am to 4.30 pm. The results will be declared on December 30 which means Panchkula will get its new Mayor before the New Year and after a gap of around two and a half years. The last elections to the civic body were held in July 2013 and its five-year tenure ended in 2018. Congress BJP confident of victory In its first reaction after the announcement of the poll the BJP in a press release stated that the party would make history by winning all 20 seats in the upcoming elections and also claim the Mayors post. District party president Ajay Sharma said they would push forward their development agenda in the elections and would make Panchkula a world-class town if voters elected them. Election observer Capt Abhimanyu today held discussions over the organisational matters and ticket aspirants with senior leaders of the local unit. Term of civic body ended in July 2018 Panchkula will get its new Mayor before the New Year and after a gap of around two and a half years. The last elections to the civic body were held in July 2013 and its five-year tenure ended in 2018. In the previous MC elections only three BJP candidates — CB Goel Sunil Talwar and Ravi Kant Swamy — had won. Later Swamy joined the Congress. However the party got its tally back to three after Krishna Lamba a Congress councillor switched to the BJP. Local Congress leaders said their leaderships decision to contest on the party symbol unlike the last election was a shot in the arm and would strengthen their prospects in the upcoming poll. Congress senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan said people would elect a Congress Mayor. The Congress leaders are hopeful of winning in view of an atmosphere against the BJP on farmers protest. The first meeting to decide on tickets would be held tomorrow and candidates were expected to be finalised before the first day of the filing of nominations said a leader. RWAs in poll fray Fed up with the working style of the MC helmed by political parties in the past several RWAs have decided to jump into the poll fray with a promise of “purifying the corruption-ridden civic body”. The Citizens Welfare Association and the Panchkula Vikas Manch have decided to contest from several wards and the post of Mayor. “Our members have better understanding of their neighbourhood and residents and their problems. If given an opportunity we will bring about a change” SK Nayar president Citizens Welfare Association told The Tribune.

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