Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 8

Having tried and tested political parties, the Voice of Housing Societies (VOHS), comprising members from Sector 48 to 51, has unanimously decided to field MN Shukla, convener, as an Independent candidate from ward number 35 for the coming Municipal Corporation poll.

A social activist

MN Shukla, who has done MA, MEd and a diploma in painting, is a social activist. He has been taking up the issues of flat owners of housing societies of Sector 48-51 under the banner of VOHS for a long time. The senior citizen, a yoga instructor, retired as a teacher.

Sector 48, 49, 50 and 63 fall in ward number 35. “At a meeting of the president, secretaries and other functionaries, the decision to field MN Shukla, a resident of Labour Bureau Housing Society in Sector 49-A, in the MC elections was taken. He will be fully backed by the VOHS, which came into being in 2019 to raise a voice against the “regressive” Flat Transfer Policy, 2018, and is now a household name in these sectors,” read an official statement issued by the VOHS.

Representatives from Sector 63 were also present at the meeting.

“The VOHS came into being because of the non-cooperative attitude of councillors of the area and the local MP. The VOHS felt that politicians, especially elected members, could not provide any relief to dwellers of housing societies, be it in the matter of stamp duty, unearned increase, non-issue of completion certificate or the steep hike in the water tariff. They turned a blind eye to the dwellers’ issues. Thus, the VOHS has decided to have its own councillor from the area, who will be truly representing the cause of the people,” added the members.

On his poll prospects, Shukla (73) told Chandigarh Tribune, “Political parties have regressive policies and have squeezed us. People feel that the elected representatives of the area have failed to protect the interests of dwellers.”

Led by Shukla, members of these societies, who were protesting outside MP Kirron Kher’s residence in Sector 7 over their pending demands, were detained by the police in September 2019. Most of them were senior citizens and were kept in the lock-up at the Sector 26 police station, but were released later.