The Congress party in Kapurthala faces a severe setback ahead of the Mayoral election scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has reportedly managed to lure away 10-15 of its councillors overnight. This development threatens Congress's clear majority in the municipal corporation, despite having won 31 out of 50 wards in the election held over a month ago.
Details of the Defection
The AAP leadership is believed to have taken the Congress councillors to an undisclosed location in Hoshiarpur since yesterday evening to prevent them from being contacted or brought back. Among those reportedly aligned with AAP is Mansu, a former Congress councillor and close associate of Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, who is expected to be projected as AAP's candidate for Mayor. The election is set to take place at Shalimar Bagh in the Municipal Corporation office at 3 pm.
Shifting Political Equations
In the municipal election, Congress secured a clear majority with 31 seats, while AAP won only 11. However, AAP has since strengthened its position by winning over three councillors each from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as well as an Independent, bringing its tally to 18. Despite this, the party still needed eight more councillors to secure the Mayor's post. The recent defection of over 10 Congress councillors has now tilted the balance in AAP's favor.
According to sources, AAP reportedly used intimidation tactics, including threats of departmental raids against some councillors or their husbands, to force them to switch sides. Hoshiarpur MP Dr. Raj Kumar Chabbewal is believed to have masterminded the operation for AAP.
Impact on Congress and Rana Gurjeet Singh
The defection has dealt a major blow to Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, who had been confident that his councillors would remain loyal and that his team would retain control of the municipal corporation. The move has added to the Congress's troubles, as the party is already facing internal turmoil. Rana Gurjeet Singh has since switched off his phone, and Chabbewal has also not been responding to calls.
