Chandigarh Mayoral poll: Amid fears of poaching, AAP councillors still ‘unreachable’

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, January 25

Even as the UT Administration on Thursday notified the mayoral poll for January 30 following the high court directions, all AAP councillors continued to be at some undisclosed location.

Sources say so much is the fear of poaching of its councillors by the BJP, AAP is not taking any chance and has sent the councillors into hiding. No wonder, the mobile phones of all their elected representatives are still “unreachable”.

Chandigarh Tribune today dialled the numbers of Mayor nominee Kuldeep Dhalor (Tita), Damanpreet Singh, Yogesh Dhingra, Prem Lata and others, but their phones were either switched off or out of network area.

It was on January 11 when AAP councillors were taken to Kikar Lodge in Ropar after one of them, Lakhbir Singh (Billu), joined the ruling BJP. The party is not ready to disclose their present location.

It is being said that their mobile phones have been taken away by the AAP leadership, although the party denied it. Earlier last year, AAP councillor Taruna Mehta had joined the Congress.

City AAP’s co-incharge Dr SS Ahluwalia, who is reportedly with the party councillors, was available on the phone. When contacted, he said, “All councillors are with me right now. It could be some network issue that their phones are not reachable. We don’t wish to disclose our location at present. We are all together and united to win the election.”

On the contrary, councillors of both the ruling BJP and Congress were accessible.

Sharing their location, Congress councillors said they were camping in Jalandhar after a tour of shrines in Amritsar. Gurpreet Singh Gabi even inaugurated the laying of paver blocks in his ward today and later returned to Amritsar.

As far as the ruling party is concerned, its councillors are in the city. City BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra said, “What kind of democracy they talk of when they have kept elected representatives forcibly away from their families and public life. Our councillor Gurcharan Singh (Kala), who was earlier reported to have joined AAP, was kidnapped (allegedly). His son has filed a police complaint.”

The alliance has a total of 20 votes — 13 of AAP and seven of the Congress. The BJP has 15 votes (14 councillors and an ex-officio member, i.e. MP). The SAD, which has one vote, wishes to opt for NOTA.

Together to win poll

All councillors are with me. There could be some network issue with their phones. We don’t wish to disclose our location. We are together to win the poll. — Dr SS Ahluwalia, City AAP co-incharge

This isn’t democracy

What kind of democracy they talk of when they have kept elected representatives forcibly away from their families and public life. — Jatinder Pal Malhotra, city BJP president

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