Himachal: Surender Chauhan elected new Shimla mayor amid ruckus; Citing change of office, deputy mayor refuses to join

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 15 : The close man of the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Singh and three-time councillor from Chhota Shimla, Surender Chauhan was elected unopposed as the new mayor of Shimla municipal corporation, a press release said.

The Councillor of Tutikandi ward Uma Kaushal was also elected unanimously as the deputy mayor of the newly elected civic body of the Queen of Hills. "The deputy mayor has decided not to join the office as her office has been shifted from the traditional office in the town hall to another place," the statement informed.

"Conventionally the mayor and deputy mayor of Shimla city sit in their office in Town hall and my office has been shifted and I have been asked to sit in another office at Ajivika Bhawan. So I will not join until I get the office of the deputy mayor. We met the Chief Minister on Monday evening after taking the oath of office. He has assured me to allot the office of the actual deputy mayor. I will join only after the office is allotted to me," said, Uma Kaushal, newly elected deputy mayor of the city.

The statement informed that the election was spoiled by a scuffle between the supporters of both the BJP and Congress councillors and the media. "The supporters used abusive words and manhandled the media as the Bachat Bhawan had a space constraint. The police also pushed the media men out of the Bhawan. Later Police ordered an investigation into the matter during the election process of the mayor and deputy mayor," claimed the statement.

The Congress won 24 out of 34 wards and the BJP, got only 9 seats and one ward was won by the CPI(M).