CM’s call sends mayors into tizzy

LUDHIANA: With downsizing exercise gathering steam, a call from chief minister Amarinder Singh is the last thing officials want to hear.
But for mayors of all the four Municipal Corporations of the state, there was no escape from the buzz.
Full of apprehension that they may be asked to resign, mayors of Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala rushed to Chandigarh on Friday.
Feeling relieved after being assured of no such development at least for now, some of them headed to Chintpurni shrine to pay obeisance. Their fears were rooted in the ongoing propaganda that some MLAs axed while downsizing of council of ministers could be considered for the posts of mayors.
Amritsar MLA Jugal Kishore Sharma told TNN over phone that the CM did not ask any of them to tender resignations. He confirmed that they had come to see the CM following the phone call.
‘‘When I conveyed to the CM about their arrival, he told me to tell them to continue working,'''' he said. Ludhiana MLA Surinder Dawar claimed the matter was a creation of rumour mills.
In fact, two Ludhiana MLAs told mayor Nahar Singh Gill to return while he was on way to Chandigarh, said sources. Gill refuted reports of his resignation, when asked.
But party sources said Amarinder was indeed unhappy with some of them due to reports of their involvement in corruption.
The CM is of the view that their five years term should be curtailed to discourage complacency and vested interests taking roots. Whether the move falls through or not will be known only after the downsizing exercise, said sources.
Amarinder is to meet the party high command on Monday. There is no let up in lobbying by mayors to retain their positions. Some of them also visited CM''s Patiala residence on Saturday in this regard.
Interestingly, almost all the Ludhiana councillors, including those of SAD, BJP and SAD (A), have supported Gill. They contended the idea of bringing in MLAs was violative of rules which state that only councillor could be elected as the mayor. Majority of the Congress councillors endorsed this point.