The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor of the Abohar Municipal Corporation on Friday evening, despite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) having won a majority in the recent civic polls. The election was marked by high political drama and strong protests from BJP leaders and workers.
Election Results and Vote Count
Of the 50 wards in the Abohar Municipal Corporation, the BJP had won 28 seats, followed by the AAP with 20, while the Congress and an Independent had won one seat each. During the mayoral election, AAP candidate Ganesh Sablania received 27 votes, comprising the party's 20 councillors, five from BJP members, one Congress councillor, and one independent councillor. Reshma Bai Kamboj and Kiran Nirania were elected Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively.
Abohar was the only Municipal Corporation in Punjab where the BJP had emerged with a majority. AAP Abohar Halqa in-charge and former MLA Arun Narang told The Tribune that BJP councillors allegedly raised their hands in favour of the AAP candidate during the election, leading to the AAP's victory.
BJP Protests and Allegations
The election triggered strong protests from BJP leaders and workers. Led by Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar, BJP councillors opposed the proceedings, alleging that the ruling AAP had engineered defections to overturn the people's mandate. Sandeep Jakhar stated, "We have gheraoed Ferozepur Divisional Commissioner Babita Kaler and Fazilka Deputy Commissioner Amarpreet Kaur Sandhu and demand the official documents of the elections of the Mayor." He claimed that the final decision is still awaited.
Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar also reached the Municipal Corporation office and lodged a protest with the officers at the helm of affairs. BJP workers later gheraoed the vehicles of senior officials, including Fazilka Deputy Commissioner Amarpreet Kaur Sandhu. According to reports, the police resorted to a mild lathi-charge to disperse the protesting BJP councillors and supporters.
Election Conduct and Previous Postponement
The elections were conducted in the presence of Babita Kler, Commissioner of Ferozepur Division, and Fazilka Deputy Commissioner Amarpreet Kaur Sandhu. Notably, the maiden meeting of the newly elected Municipal Corporation, scheduled for July 7, had been postponed due to an "exigency," as stated by Abohar SDM Kirpal Vir Singh. Consequently, the oath-taking ceremony of the 50 newly elected councillors and the election of the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor could not be held on that day. Following the postponement, the meeting was rescheduled for Friday evening, when the elections were finally conducted amid high political drama and security arrangements.
Political Reactions and Implications
Sandeep Jakhar alleged that the AAP government was "making a mockery of democracy" and ignoring the mandate given by the people of Abohar. The BJP's strong reaction underscores the significance of the Abohar Municipal Corporation, the only one in Punjab where the BJP had secured a majority. The AAP's capture of the mayor's post despite being in the minority has raised questions about political maneuvering and defections.
The development is likely to have broader implications for Punjab politics, with the AAP consolidating its hold on local bodies despite the BJP's numerical strength in Abohar. The protest by BJP leaders, including a gherao of senior officials, indicates the party's determination to challenge the outcome.
