3 AAP councillors’ induction leads to rift in Chandigarh unit of BJP

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, February 19

Though the induction of three AAP councillors into the BJP has given the latter a voting edge in the MC House, it has also caused a rift among leaders of the local unit of the saffron party.

According to some party leaders, the three councillors were inducted into the BJP in the presence of former city BJP president Arun Sood and national party general secretary Vinod Tawde at the latter’s Delhi residence yesterday, without keeping the local leadership in the loop.

A party leader said neither Chandigarh BJP in charge Vijay Rupani nor city unit president Jatinderpal Malhotra were present on the occasion. They were not kept in the loop unlike the previous occasion when AAP councillor Lakhbir Singh Billu joined the party in the presence of the local leadership led by the Malhotra.

“So much so that even the party president was not aware of the three councillors joining the BJP. He knew only about Gurcharanjit Singh Kala agreeing to join the party. There is huge resentment among city party leaders owing to this,” shared a party leader. Sources in the BJP said the disgruntled leaders had apprised the party high command about their resentment.

Malhotra, who attended the party’s national convention in Delhi, returned to the city yesterday and got the Mayor resigned from the post. After sometime, the news of three AAP councillors joining the BJP in Delhi was released. The news was first shared with the media by Sood, but not officially by the city BJP. After about half an hour when Sood’s pictures with the three councillors went viral, the city party released pictures of Tawde along with the three councillors and Sood. Meanwhile, Sood said, “No me, but the national party general secretary himself made them join the BJP. All senior leadership is in the know of it and all were kept in the loop. What problem someone may have with it.” City BJP chief Jatinderpal Malhotra was unavailable for comment.

Third switch in 2 years for Kala

In less than two years, it’s a third party switch for Gurcharanjeet Singh Kala. Kala, who won councillor’s election on Congress ticket in 2021, joined the BJP in June 2022. In the run up to the January 30 mayoral polls, he dumped the saffron party to join AAP. In yet another shift, he came back to the BJP fold on Sunday. Councillors Poonam and Neha Musavat, who won on AAP ticket, too, defected to the BJP.