Congress Councillors In Amritsar Join Hands To Remove Mayor

Municipal councillors owing allegiance to the Congress have now joined hands to oust the Amritsar mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu, who days ahead of assembly elections had defected from Congress to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

“We just need two-thirds majority in the Amritsar municipal corporation’s House to oust Rintu and appoint someone else in his place,” said Raman Bakshi senior deputy mayor on Saturday, adding that they would move a no-confidence motion against Rintu in the House.

Reacting to Rintu joining the AAP, he said, “The move was nothing but a political suicide, we have a majority in the House and will have our new mayor”.

Notably, on February 16, mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu, who was resentful of Congress’s high command for not fielding him in the Assembly elections, had shifted loyalty to AAP.

Rintu, who was elected a municipal councillor from ward number 12 in 2018, was the first Sikh and the 8th mayor of Amritsar.

Before joining AAP , sources informed that Rintu was assured by AAP’s senior leadership that he will adjusted “honourably” in the party.

Sources apprehended that Rintu would try to delay the meeting at least by March 10, hoping for AAP to come to power.

However, there is a piquant situation making things difficult to choose from at least four persons contending for the post of mayor of Amritsar.

Some of the names making rounds for the post include Raman Bakshi, Vikas Soni, Rankanwapreet and PPCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu confidents Shalinder Singh and Jatinder Singh .

But, if sources are to believed, a lot of hectic behind the door contemplations are underway before the actual floor test, with Congress claiming to have the support of 54 municipal councillors.

As many as 8 municipal councillors, including the mayor himself, have already left Congress.

However, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Joginderpal Dhingra claimed that they wouldn’t have any difficulty in proving the majority .