The controversial RWA election in Uppal Southend, in Gurgaon Sector 49, recorded a polling of 45 per cent on May 1.
Polling was for held for eight posts, excluding that of president and vice-president, which are allegedly filled by persons who got themselves elected unopposed. What is most intriguing in this case is that the matter is pending with the Registrar of Societies (RoS) in Chandigrah, and before a judgement was pronounced, elections were held on Sunday.
A total of 382 votes from S and W blocks were declared valid. Jeet Ram Sharma, the contender for the post of president who was debarred from contesting, has termed the election process a farce. “Might is indeed right,” he said. “As soon as the election process began in the morning, supporters of the rival group of Bhagat Singh Yadav ripped off our banners to show their muscle power and terrorise residents. Only supporters of Bhagat Singh Yadav were allowed to cast votes. It’s a mockery of the election process.”
He added that Bhagat Singh Yadav’s group has captured the post of president and vice-president in connivance with the District Registrar office, and that his group has no interest in participating in the elections for the posts of convener, secretary, joint secretary, treasurer and four other posts.
Twenty-two residents of the S and W blocks were declared defaulters and hence unable to take part in the elections. Vikas Jain is one of them. A valid contender till March 24, he is now termed a defaulter by the rival group. “I don’t understand their interest in the RWA elections,” Jain said. “It is appalling that Bhagat Singh Yadav’s group has deployed anti-social elements around the polling booths who misbehave with genuine voters and ward them off. They tried to provoke us into verbal duels with them by using offensive language. But we remained calm and left the venue, as we all live here in harmony as residents of a society and don’t want any personal enmity.”
More than 50 per cent residents marked eligible as voters could not participate in the elections. Angered, residents held a peaceful protest, asking for free and fair elections. They also demanded that the election process be held after the May 5 hearing from the State Registrar. About 150 people embarked upon a signature campaign yesterday. However, their campaign was interrupted by a group of non-residents who tore down posters of the protest and provoked residents to retailiate. "A group of hooligans even locked up the returning officer and election officers in a room until midnight, trying to force them to declare results, despite instructions from the district registrar to hold announcement until the next hearing," said a resident, on condition of anonymity.
Suman Kapoor, another resident, said, “Bhagat Singh Yadav has deliberately influenced District Registrar officials by presenting a forged list of defaulters on grounds of non-payment of monthly or yearly membership fee. But many of the residents mentioned purchased their flats in the society after 2010 and the list pertains to dues before this date.”
Residents also claim that Bhagat Singh Yadav does not live in the society and that his house is located adjacent to it. Despite this, residents accepted him as a member of the RWA in 2013.
However, Bhagat Singh Yadav has rubbished all allegations. “The opposition group does not have enough numbers to contest the elections opposite us and is hence trying to malign my image. Defaulters have been ousted because of non-payment of dues against their names – this has nothing to do with me. I fulfil all election norms drawn up by the RWA and am hence eligible for the elections.”
When contacted by City Spidey, Sushil Chopra, the returning officer appointed by the District Registrar, said that the elections for eight posts were conducted on Sunday but that he was not permitted to announce the results as the matter was sub-judice for the time being. The announcement has been reserved till the next hearing, scheduled on May 5.
