The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured the presidency of the Morinda Municipal Council (MC) on Friday after independent councillor Jagpal Singh Jolly, who had recently joined AAP, was elected to the post. He received support from four independent councillors and three Congress members who defected to the party. This outcome came despite AAP having won only one seat in the Morinda MC elections, while Congress held 10 seats and independents four.
Political Tensions and Protests
Political tensions escalated in Morinda ahead of the election. Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi led a protest to the Morinda police station, alleging that police had detained councillors from his camp. Channi arrived at the police station in the afternoon with a large number of supporters and elected councillors before the scheduled election.
Speaking to reporters outside the police station, Channi alleged that three Congress councillors had been picked up by police in an attempt to influence the election outcome. He claimed one detained councillor was locked inside a bathroom at the police station. Channi accused the ruling dispensation of misusing police machinery for political purposes.
Allegations of Undermining Democracy
Later, Channi reached the Morinda MC office with his party councillors and alleged that Congress members were not allowed to enter the house to vote for the president's post. He said democratic norms were being undermined and that the mandate of elected representatives had been compromised, accusing the AAP government of abusing power.
The elected councillors of the Morinda Municipal Council gathered at the police station in support of the detained members. The protesting councillors alleged that the government had registered a criminal case against them to pressure them before the crucial election. They maintained the action was politically motivated and intended to alter the arithmetic in the Municipal Council. They raised slogans against the Punjab Government and demanded withdrawal of the case.
No Official Police Statement
No official statement was immediately available from the police regarding the allegations made by Channi or the reasons behind the alleged detention of the councillors. The election was held amid heightened political tension, with both sides trading allegations over attempts to influence the electoral process. The administration made elaborate security arrangements in view of the protest and the charged political atmosphere.
