Mayor race heats up ahead of polls in Bathinda, Barnala and Moga

Bathinda: Intense lobbying was underway within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of elections to the posts of mayor in the municipal corporations of Bathinda, Barnala and Moga on Thursday.Sources said the names of Padamjit Singh Mehta in Bathinda and Hasanpreet Bhardwaj in Barnala have emerged as frontrunners, though the party is yet to make an announcement.Under the Punjab Reservation for the Offices of Mayors of Municipal Corporations Rules, 2017, the mayor's post in Moga is reserved for the backward classes (BC) category.In Moga, the contest is confined to AAP councillors Vikramjit Singh and Vinaypal Kaur, the only two councillors from the BC category. Sources said the final decision would be taken by the party leadership.Former Bathinda mayor Padamjit Singh Mehta, son of Punjab Cricket Association president Amarjit Singh Mehta, is considered a strong contender for a second term. Other names doing the rounds include Harbans Kaur, mother-in-law of Punjab speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, and AAP youth wing functionary Mandeep Kaur Ramgarhia.In Barnala, Hasanpreet Bhardwaj, considered close to Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, is among the leading contenders. Former municipal council presidents Gurjit Singh Ramniwasia and Paramjit Singh Dhillon, AAP trade wing district chairman Rajiv Kumar Lubi and councillor Dharam Paul are also in the fray.Meet Hayer said the party would consider various factors before finalising its candidate. Moga MLA Amandeep Kaur Arora said the final decision on the mayoral post would be taken by chief minister Bhagwant Mann.