LUDHIANA: Leaving behind all the front runners in the race for mayoral post, senior Congress leader
Balkar Singh Sandhu made it to the finish line and got elected as sixth mayor of the largest municipal corporation of the state.
On other two posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, Sham Sunder Malhotra and Sarabjit Kaur were elected, respectively. All of them were elected unopposed. However, it certainly left some other candidates in the race disappointed. It is after a gap of 10 years, Congress party has got its mayor elected in the MC.
In the morning, first of all newly elected councillors of 95 wards took oath in the presence of divisional commissioner V K Meena, MC commissioner
Jaskiran Singh and Congress MLAs Rakesh Pandey, Surinder Dawar, Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Sanjay Talwar.
Once the oath taking ceremony was over,
Congress councillors Mamta Ashu and Gurdeep Neetu proposed the name of Balkar Sandhu for the post of mayor and all councillors gave their vote in his favour and he was declared the mayor.
Meanwhile, the name of Sham Sunder Malhotra for the post of senior deputy mayor was proposed by Jaiparkash. Kuldeep Janda and Harjinderpal Singh Lali and Manpreet Singh Grewal proposed the name of Sarabjit Kaur for deputy mayor. These two leaders were also elected unopposed on both posts.
Balkar Sandhu has remained councillor four times and in one term, his wife Sneh Lata had also been a councillor. Sandhu was elected the member of the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) in the previous MC house.
After being elected, mayor Balkar Sandhu first of all showed gratitude towards chief minister Amarinder Singh, MP and
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president
Sunil Jakhar, MP Ravneet Bittu and cabinet ministers
Navjot Sidhu and Tripat Inder Bajwa for giving him an opportunity.
Balkar Sandhu has remained councillor four times and in one term, his wife Sneh Lata had also been a councillor. 
