Two days after Shimla Municipal Corporation election results were declared, the process of electing the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Shimla was deferred till Tuesday, following the absence of Congress and CPI (M) from the first house after the oath taking ceremony of the newly elected councillors
All the 34 councillors were administered oath by D K Gupta, Director, Urban Development Department in the Bachat Bhawan at 3.30 pm on Monday. The BJP supporters raised slogans during the oath taking ceremony, while Congress councillors were silent having been kept away from the power in Shimla MC for the second consecutive term.
Congress got another blow on Monday as just before the oath taking ceremony, independent candidate Sanjay Parmar joined BJP. A Congress rebel Sanjay was being considered in Congress pool on Saturday, but his joining BJP came as a further jolt to Congress as its tally in Shimla MC has been reduced to 15 against 19 of BJP. Earlier, in the morning Sanjay Parmar joined saffron party in the presence of State BJP president Satpal Singh Satti and other leaders.
After the oath taking ceremony of all the councillors, presiding officer, D K Gupta had asked all except the councillors to leave the house, for voting for election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor. But amidst the slogans by BJP supporters Congress supporting councillors including one of CPI (M) walked out of the house.
Gupta, in between deferred the meeting till 4.15 PM, but as the Congress supporting 15 councillors did not return to the house, the presiding officer deferred the meeting for Tuesday as the Qoram for taking vote for Mayor and Deputy Mayor was not available.
Presiding Officer Gupta said a Qoram of 26 councillors was required for voting on Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Though, BJP leaders wanted voting for Mayor and Deputy Mayor on Monday only as senior BJP leaders insisted for deferment of the house on same day.
Outside the DC office, BJP workers were seen raising slogans of Kusum Gagret as Mayor and Sanjeev Sood as Deputy Mayor.
Though Shimla could not get its Mayor and Deputy Mayor on Monday but the saffron party strengthened its clasp on the MC of town hall. With BJP’s tally reaching 19 in 34 member house, it is certain that BJP will take the reins of the oldest Municipal Corporation of the country after 32 years.
After the declaration of MC election results, there were strong speculation of horse trading in Shimla MC, as no party had gained clear majority in the 34 member house. The saffron party had kept its councillors and an independent member at secret location and they were escorted to the Bachat Bhawan in vehicles of BJP MlAs before the oath taking ceremony.