Gurdaspur: In Punjab’s Gurdaspur, villagers of Hardowal Kalan, located in the Fatehgarh Churian constituency held an auction to elect their sarpanch, starting bids at Rs 50 lakh and culminating with a top offer of Rs 2 crore by former sarpanch and local BJP leader Atma Singh.
Atma Singh, whose father Wassan Singh previously held the position, placed a cheque for Rs 2 crore before the villagers, arguing that this auction process is preferable to bribing local politicians for the role.
Villagers announced that any bid exceeding Rs 2 crore would be considered for the sarpanch position. However, the auction faced backlash from government officials and political figures, who labeled it a violation of democratic norms and a threat to the integrity of panchayat elections.
Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa condemned the auction and called for a Vigilance probe, accusing the auctioneers of “murdering democracy” and questioning the legitimacy of selling public office based on financial contributions.
Historically, Hardowal Kalan, one of the largest villages in Gurdaspur with 300 acres of panchayat land, has elected its sarpanches unanimously for the past 30 years. This auction was organized by the Naujawan Sabha, a youth council formed after the dissolution of panchayats in Punjab.
According to Atma Singh, the funds raised will be used for village development.
Despite the criticism, many villagers appear to support the auction, viewing it as a transparent means of selecting their leader.