On Friday, in-charge of SAD affairs in Mohali, Jasjit Singh Bunny, asked MC president Rajinder Singh Rana, a close aide of Kharar Congress MLA Balbir Sidhu, to either step down or face removal. 

“Since the Congress had lost majority in the civic body, Rana should resign on his own otherwise our majority group will move a no-confidence motion against him,” Bunny said.

Punjab Cooperation Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh’s son Bunny, who is also the chairman of the Punjab State Cooperative Bank Limited, claimed that four more Congress municipal councillors will soon join the SAD group, which already has 20 of the total 31 councillors in the civic body. “With 24 councillors, we will unseat Rana through a no-confidence motion,” he declared.

According to the law, a two-third majority is required to move a no-confidence motion against a MC president. 

In case the SAD fails to win the no-confidence motion, sources said it can seek Rana’s removal on the alleged charge of “misuse of power”, for which he had already been served a showcause notice. The formalities in the case are awaiting a formal order of removal from Principal Secretary, Local Government, Punjab.

The SAD leadership, sources added, wants to topple the Congress leader in the MC through a no-confidence motion, a democratic exercise unlike the removal on “misuse of power” charge.

Bunny also pressed for the Vigilance Bureau probe into the working of the civic body during the Congress rule since August 2006. 

“We will soon call upon Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal seeking formal order for a Vigilance probe,” said newly-elected MC senior vice-president Harman Preet Singh Prince.