Ludhiana: Voting for the election of two members of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation’s Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) has begun at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan. Four candidates are in the fray for the two seats, with two candidates from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), one from the Congress and one from the BJP.

Only councillors and MLAs have been allowed entry into Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan, while media personnel and representatives of councillors have been denied entry. Councillors have also been barred from carrying mobile phones inside the election hall.

Mayor Inderjit Kaur is serving as the returning officer for the election. Voting is being conducted through ballot papers from 11 a.m. The electoral roll includes 95 councillors and seven MLAs, although one MLA is currently in jail and cannot vote. The councillors and eligible MLAs have reached the venue.

Row Over MLAs’ Voting Rights

Opposition councillors have objected to the inclusion of MLAs’ names in the voter list. However, the Mayor and the MLA have maintained that the MLAs will be allowed to vote and have asked opposition members to approach the court if they have any objections.

Meanwhile, opposition councillors, including Congress candidate Gaurav Bhatti and BJP candidate Ruchi Gulati, have warned the Mayor and the Commissioner that they will move the court if MLAs are permitted to vote in violation of the Act.

F&CC Election Vote Arithmetic

There are 95 councillors in the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation House — 49 from AAP, 25 from Congress, 19 from BJP, including one independent councillor, and two from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Of AAP’s 49 councillors, one is the Mayor and another is currently abroad. Since the Mayor is serving as the returning officer, there is uncertainty over whether she can vote. If she does not have voting rights, AAP will have 47 councillor votes.

AAP also has seven MLAs in the city, of whom one is currently in jail. If the remaining six MLAs vote, AAP’s total could reach 53 votes. If any MLA votes are declared invalid, however, the party’s second candidate could face difficulty.

A candidate would need at least 26 first-preference votes to win, barring cross-voting. In such a scenario, both AAP candidates would be assured of victory. However, cross-voting or support from the two SAD councillors for the Congress candidate could change the equation.

According to Municipal Corporation Secretary Vivek Verma, the election will be held under the Single Transferable Vote System, based on preferences. Councillors will assign first and second preferences to candidates. If there is a tie in first-preference votes, second-preference votes will be counted.

Reputation of Two AAP MLAs at Stake

MLAs Madanlal Bagga and Kulwant Singh Sidhu had earlier managed to get their sons appointed as F&CC members. Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti challenged the appointments in the High Court.

After the High Court issued a notice to the Local Bodies Department, the department cancelled both appointments, declaring them illegal. Now, with fresh elections being held, both MLAs have once again fielded their sons.

Their reputations are consequently at stake, with both MLAs working to secure every councillor’s vote.

Disgruntled AAP Councillors, SAD Votes Key

AAP councillors from the West constituency are reportedly disgruntled. If these councillors cross-vote or abstain, the party’s electoral arithmetic could be disrupted.

Manish Sisodia and Aman Arora have already met councillors from the West constituency and persuaded them, according to the information available.

On the other hand, even if two SAD councillors vote for the Congress candidate, it could make the contest difficult for AAP’s second candidate. The outcome could therefore hinge on the disgruntled AAP councillors and the SAD councillors.

Uproar Over Ballot Papers

The ballot papers issued by the Municipal Corporation initially carried serial numbers on the back, raising concerns among opposition councillors that votes could be identified.

Opposition councillors protested against the move. A meeting between the opposition councillors, the Mayor and the Commissioner was held late Friday evening, after which the Mayor agreed that serial numbers would not be printed on the back of the ballot papers.

However, she remained firm on allowing MLAs to vote and on the issue of her own vote.

Congress Councillor Alleges Inducements

Councillor Gaurav Bhatti alleged that since Thursday, officials had been offering inducements to opposition councillors, including Congress members, by promising immediate action on pending works if they brought the relevant files.

He alleged that the AAP had adopted a strategy of using “any means necessary—fair or foul” to achieve its objective. Bhatti added that opposition councillors were neither afraid of officials nor seeking to get any illegal work done.