Govt to take call on no-trust vote against Moga Mayor

Moga, Local body authorities of the Moga Municipal Corporation (MC) have referred the demand of 35 councillors (two-thirds majority) to call a special meeting of the House for bringing a vote of no confidence against Mayor Akshit Jain to the state government.
This is to avoid legal hurdles as a case regarding the election of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor is pending before a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It will be taken up for arguments on May 16.
The local authorities of the MC are of the view that bringing a trust vote against the Mayor might invite contempt of court proceedings against them. Therefore, the demand of the councillors has been referred to the Director, Local Bodies, to take proper legal advice before taking any decision on it, said a senior official of the local body.
Akshit is the son of outgoing Moga MLA Joginder Pal Jain who has not been given the SAD ticket for the 2017 Assembly elections.
The MLA is having a hard time due to Agriculture Minister Jathedar Tota Singh. Tota Singh has managed to get the party ticket for his son Barjinder Brar, ignoring Joginder Pal Jain. He also allegedly wants to bring down the junior Jain from the Mayor’s post.
The situation in the local body worsened during the Assembly elections. More than two-thirds of the councillors, including Independents, joined hands with Tota Singh’s group. Meanwhile, Akshit claims that SAD president Sukhbir Badal had promised that Akshit would continue as Mayor.
But sources in Tota Singh’s camp claim that they want to make Deepinder Singh Sandhu, leader of Independent councillors, the Mayor. Two senior councillors Prem Singh Chakkiwala and Gurminder Singh Bablu, supporters of Tota Singh, also have their eyes on the Mayor’s post.
Case against him in HC
A case regarding the election of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor is pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It will be taken up for arguments on May 16
The local authorities of the MC are of the view that bringing a trust vote against the Mayor might invite contempt of court proceedings against them
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Sources in Agriculture Minister Tota Singh’s camp claim that they want to make Deepinder Singh Sandhu, leader of Independent councillors, the Mayor. Two senior councillors Prem Singh Chakkiwala and Gurminder Singh Bablu, supporters of Tota Singh, also have their eyes on the Mayor’s post.