Congress ropes in Independents, secures majority in Parwanoo

Ambika Sharma
Tribune News Service
Solan, January 13

Stealing a march over the BJP, the Opposition Congress today managed to rope in the support of two Independents to secure majority in the Parwanoo Municipal Committee (MC).

The Congress-supported candidates — Thakur Dass, Sonia Sharma, Lakhwinder Singh and Chandrawati — had won four of the nine seats while the BJP could only bag three seats. Two independents had also won.

Daisy Thakur, Kiran Chauhan and Ranjeet Thakur were the BJP-supported candidates who had won the ward poll.

The Independents — Nisha Sharma and Monisha Sharma — were also supported by the Congress in the poll.

Nisha Sharma had contested as an independent after being denied a ticket by the BJP. Her name had figured in the list of Congress candidates also.

Congress leaders claim to have won the support of both the Independents and their collective number had gone up to six. This would enable them to secure a clear majority for electing the president and the vice-president.

All seven members, including four Congress-supported candidates, today congregated at Haripur and they unanimously pledged support for Thakur Dass Sharma as the president and Sonia Sharma as the vice president.

Addressing mediapersons at Parwanoo, the Congress spokesperson Ramesh Chauhan said unanimity has been arrived at for both the key posts of president and vice president among the six newly elected members, including two Independents. “The elected members have unanimously decided to elect Thakur Dass Sharma, also a former president, as the new president and Sonia Sharma as the new vice president and they will be administered oath on January 18,” he said.

He said Sonia Sharma husband, Rajesh Sharma, has been a two-term councillor in the past.

Despite being the home turf of health and family welfare minister Dr Rajiv Saizal, the BJP’s performance in this civic poll has been dismal. This was an indication of the eroding popularity of the ruling party in this urban belt despite development projects like bus stand and SDM office having been opened in the subdivision.