In a dramatic political development, Congress councillor Narinder Singh Manso was elected Mayor of the Kapurthala Municipal Corporation on Wednesday, with the reported support of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The election saw AAP councillor Sameer Sharma elected as Senior Deputy Mayor and Congress councillor Kamakshi Duggal as Deputy Mayor, according to claims made after the election.
Political Realignments and Rebel Councillors
The outcome has triggered intense political activity, with speculation that rebel councillors previously aligned with MLA Rana Gurjit Singh played a decisive role. The Congress had secured a clear majority by winning 32 of the 50 municipal corporation seats in the civic elections. However, cross-party negotiations and realignments dominated the run-up to the mayoral election. The reported support of AAP and rebel Congress councillors for Manso is seen as a significant setback for Rana Gurjit Singh's faction.
Rana Gurjit Singh Challenges Result
Following the election, Rana Gurjit Singh strongly questioned the legitimacy of the process, describing it as illegal. He claimed his camp had the backing of 26 councillors, plus his own vote, totaling 27 votes. He argued that the opposing camp had only 24 councillors, making the declared result questionable. Rana presented the names of his supporting councillors before the media to demonstrate his claimed numbers and announced that he would challenge the election before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
New Mayor's Priorities
Meanwhile, newly elected Mayor Narinder Singh Manso thanked the AAP and other opposition councillors for their support. He stated that his foremost priority would be the development of Kapurthala city, adding that development projects within the municipal corporation would be taken up on priority.
Political Landscape Reshaped
The mayoral election has reshaped Kapurthala's political landscape, with attention now turning to the legal challenge proposed by Rana Gurjit Singh and the subsequent developments that may follow.
