Gurdaspur: Former Sarpanch Atma Singh of Hardorwal Kalan village has gone on “long leave” after placing a final bid of Rs 2 crore for a unanimous election in the panchayat poll.
The situation arose after allegations of auctioning the position gained attention, leading to Atma’s disappearance from the village.
His family stated he would return but did not specify when, while a relative mentioned he had traveled to an undisclosed location.
Sources indicated that Atma has been in hiding since Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa called for a Vigilance probe against him.
The Opposition has pressured police to arrest Atma, who is affiliated with the BJP; however, senior officials reported a lack of tangible evidence against him.
Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta explained that the administration cannot take action until Atma files his nomination and is confirmed as the only candidate from his village.
As the nomination deadline passed, Atma did not submit his papers, he said.
Villagers expressed that Atma believed BJP leaders would support him during this crisis, but their absence prompted him to leave.
Atma had previously competed against Jaswinder Singh and Nirbhair Singh for the sarpanch position, with his Rs 2 crore bid being the highest. This approach stoked controversy with CM mann urging voters to refrain from using money and power in panchayat elections.
Defending his actions, Atma stated, “I see no wrong in what I have done. I promised to deposit the money in a common account for village development under the guidance of a committee of fellow villagers.” Atma’s father, Wassan Singh, declined to comment on the matter.
