In a major political confrontation ahead of the upcoming local body elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Punjab unit has launched a scathing attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. The BJP has accused the AAP government of orchestrating a plan to openly misuse the state police and government machinery to manipulate the December 14 Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections.
BJP Leaders Demand Action from Election Commission
Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar, in a strongly-worded written statement on Thursday, asserted that while the AAP consistently alleges vote theft, it is now preparing to steal the entire local body elections. He revealed that the BJP had already met the State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday, demanding immediate measures to ensure a free and fair poll process.
"We have demanded the videography of these elections as the government machinery is being blatantly misused for this purpose," Jakhar stated. He pointed to an audio clip circulated by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) as concrete proof of the threat to democracy. The clip allegedly features senior police officers discussing the use of force in the December 14 elections.
Jakhar called for an external, unbiased agency to investigate the audio, not a Punjab government body. He insisted that officers implicated in this "murder of democracy" be removed from election duty immediately. He also criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, calling him a "rubber-stamp" CM who is abroad, and linked AAP's Delhi leader Manish Sisodia's alleged policy of 'Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed' to the current situation in Punjab.
Allegations of Police Acting as AAP's 'B-Team'
Echoing these concerns, Punjab BJP General Secretary Anil Sarin held a press conference in Chandigarh, presenting serious allegations of on-ground intimidation. Sarin accused the Punjab Police of functioning like the AAP's 'B-team' and engaging in government-backed hooliganism.
He listed specific incidents, including raids on BJP candidates' houses, locking their gates, picking up family members, tearing nomination documents, and blocking roads to prevent candidates from filing their papers. To substantiate the claims, Sarin showed video clips purportedly showing the early morning detention of Vikas Pandey, husband of BJP candidate Priyanka Pandey from Jandali in Patiala, and incidents of nomination files being destroyed in Rajpura and Ghanaur.
"This is not democracy; these are signs of dictatorship in the state," Sarin declared, condemning the police actions.
Legal Recourse and Political Repercussions
The BJP has also decided to pursue legal action. Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma, in a post on social media platform X, recalled his December 2 warning about the AAP's pattern of misusing government machinery in previous elections. He stated that he has now instructed the party's legal cell head, Advocate N K Verma, to file a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court to ensure impartial elections.
The party's unified stance underscores a deepening political crisis in Punjab surrounding the local body polls. The BJP has squarely placed the responsibility on the State Election Commission to understand its constitutional duty and maintain strict impartiality. With the allegations of an audio plot, physical obstruction of candidates, and the threat of legal battles, the December 14 elections are set to be a highly contentious affair, testing the robustness of democratic institutions in the state.
