After suffering defeat in Chandigarh mayoral election, AAP accuses Congress of cross-voting

Synopsis

Chandigarh, Jan 30 (NationPress) In a surprising turn of events, AAP has accused Congress of cross-voting in the wake of their defeat in the Chandigarh mayoral election, despite holding a majority. BJP's Harpreet Kaur Babla emerged victorious, while AAP leaders express their betrayal and caution the public about trusting Congress.

Key Takeaways

AAP blames Congress for cross-voting in Chandigarh mayoral poll.
BJP's Harpreet Kaur Babla elected as Mayor.
Congress candidates elected as Deputy Mayor positions.
Accusations of collusion between Congress and BJP.
AAP warns public about voting for Congress.

Chandigarh, Jan 30 (NationPress) Following a disheartening loss in the Chandigarh mayoral election, partners of the INDIA bloc, the Congress and AAP, have pointed fingers at each other, with AAP alleging that Congress engaged in cross-voting.

Senior AAP leader and spokesperson Neel Garg claimed that Congress councillors participated in cross-voting, which resulted in the election of BJP's Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla, who succeeded AAP's Kuldeep Kumar.

Harpreet Kaur triumphed over AAP's Prem Lata by a margin of two votes, receiving 19 votes. In a 36-member assembly, the AAP-Congress coalition commands 19 councillors—13 from AAP and 6 from Congress—while the BJP has 16 votes. Additionally, Congress MP Manish Tewari, an ex-officio member, contributed one vote, bringing the total to 20.

Nevertheless, Congress candidates from the INDIA bloc, Jasbir Singh Bunty and Taruna Mehta, were elected as Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Chandigarh, respectively, each securing 19 votes.

Neel Garg asserted that Congress councillors have betrayed their trust. He stated, 'The Congress and the BJP are secretly in collusion. This incident has made it completely clear. Both are two sides of the same coin.' He urged the public to be cautious of Congress, suggesting that a vote for them would lead to support for the BJP.

Garg further predicted that Congress would replicate this behavior in Delhi, warning, 'Voting for the Congress is equivalent to wasting one's vote.'

He noted that AAP councillors had supported Congress, resulting in the election of their Deputy Mayor and Senior Deputy Mayor. 'But they have betrayed us.'

Prior to the election, Congress councillor Gurbax Rawat defected to the BJP.

In response, BJP's Punjab spokesperson, Pritpal Singh Baliawal, declared that by securing the mayoral seat, the BJP has unveiled the true nature of the Congress-AAP alliance, illustrating that both parties are united while deceiving the public.

Baliawal highlighted that even though the people of Punjab aided Congress in winning seven Lok Sabha seats, the Congress-AAP alliance is now 'exposed' to the electorate.

This revelation is expected to influence the upcoming 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

Baliawal also reminded the public of Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring's previous statements during the Amritsar mayoral elections, asserting that despite their formal alliance in the INDIA bloc, Congress has no historical, current, or future ties with AAP.

Hours before the mayoral election, Chandigarh Police filed charges of cheating and corruption against AAP Mayor Kuldeep Kumar and his brother-in-law Rahul. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted Kuldeep Kumar anticipatory bail, allowing him to participate in the voting process.

The case stemmed from a complaint by a resident of Ram Darbar, who alleged he paid Rs 75,000 to Rahul with the promise of a sanitation worker position, which he never received.