Chandigarh, October 8 (Daily Kiran) : The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has urged Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to remove State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary from his position. This demand follows a Supreme Court ruling that raised serious questions about the nomination process for the December 2024 municipal elections.
SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema emphasized the need to hold accountable those officials who allegedly assisted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and influenced the electoral process. He called for strict action against these officials.
Cheema pointed to a report from a fact-finding commission appointed by the court, led by former Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Nirmaljeet Kaur. The report highlighted incidents of violence against opposition candidates, obstruction of nominations, coercion to withdraw candidacies, and instances of ballot tampering.
He accused State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary of ignoring complaints related to the alleged misuse of administrative and police resources during the elections. “It is now clear that grassroots democracy has been undermined during the tenure of the State Election Commissioner. He has no right to remain in office,” Cheema stated.
Welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision, he noted that the establishment of a monitoring committee led by a retired judge to oversee re-voting in 28 wards of Patiala, all 15 wards of Bagha Purana, and 7 wards of Dharmkot indicates a lack of trust in the State Election Commission‘s ability to conduct fair elections.
Additionally, Cheema criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for the ongoing cases against farmers accused of stubble burning. He recalled that the Chief Minister had previously assured that no action would be taken against these farmers and that they would receive ₹1,500 per acre for stubble management.
Cheema alleged that monitoring of stubble burning incidents is now being conducted via drones, leading to the registration of cases against farmers. He demanded clarification from the Chief Minister on whether any official notification regarding the ₹1,500 aid has been issued and when this amount will be disbursed.
The Akali leader further claimed that the state government has failed to provide adequate machinery for stubble management or any financial assistance to farmers.
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