Chandigarh: BJP, Congress-AAP leaders clash over councillor Jasbir Singh Bunty

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, January 16

Two days ahead of mayoral poll scheduled for January 18, high drama was witnessed on the Municipal Corporation premises today. Leaders of the ruling BJP and the Congress-AAP alliance tried to take councillor Jasbir Singh Bunty, who was the Congress nominee for the post of Mayor, with them.

Bunty, accompanied by leaders of the Congress and AAP had reached the MC premises to withdraw his nomination, which was necessitated after both parties reached an alliance, which has fielded councillor Kuldeep Dhalor Tita as the INDIA bloc nominee for Mayor’s post.

Vote equation

The alliance has a total of 20 votes —13 of AAP and seven of the Congress councillors, whereas the ruling BJP has 15 votes (14 councillors and ex-officio member, i.e. MP). The SAD, which has one vote, has not yet decided who it would vote for or if it would boycott the poll like the previous two occasions. If Bunty joins the BJP, the BJP will still need two councillors to cross-vote to have its Mayor elected (SAD vote not taken into account).

MC Secretary goes on medical leave

Under pressure from both the ruling as well as Opposition parties, MC Secretary Gurinder Singh Sodhi proceeded on medical leave on Tuesday. Joint commissioner Isha Kamboj has been given the charge for receiving nominations and withdrawals.

The trouble started when even after about an hour, MC Secretary Gurinder Singh Sodhi did not turn up there, and Bunty’s father asked the Congress leaders to let his son leave. City Congress president HS Lucky, Gurpreet Singh Gabi and Sachin Galav tried to dissuade his father who was insisting on letting his son leave.

‘Secy turned up very late’

Is it North Korea? Why is the BJP not letting us meet our councillor? The MC Secretary turned up very late and later, the police and Administration were made to take him away. — HS Lucky, City Congress president

‘Bunty asked us for help’

Bunty’s father is telling the Congress to let his son leave. Even Bunty messaged our party leaders asking them to help him get out of the Congress’ custody. — Jatinder Pal Malhotra, City BJP president

In the presence of media, his father asked the Congress leaders, “Who will be responsible if his son gets stressed. He is being tortured. Let him go.” Lucky replied, “His father is under pressure from the BJP.” They held a meeting in a closed room. Later, Sodhi entered the room and they all held talks, but it was not clear whether nomination had been withdrawn. After that, Congress and AAP leaders started coming out of the MC office.

At this time, top BJP leaders and councillors, who were standing outside the building, tried to stop them from taking away Bunty.

A BJP councillor showed the media WhatsApp messages purportedly sent by Bunty asking the former to take him away. Tempers ran high as the BJP and Cong-AAP leaders, along with workers, tried to take Bunty along.

The city police had to intervene. The Punjab police also tried to join in, but were asked to stay away by the city police, citing jurisdiction. Some leaders and policemen were manhandled during the melee.

Untimely, the city police managed to whisk away Bunty and made him sit inside the MC office. Only top local leaders of the three parties, including Sanjay Tandon, Arun Sood, Pawan Kumar Bansal, HS Lucky and Dr SS Ahluwalia, were allowed to go inside. SSP Kanwardeep Kaur also rushed inside the MC building. MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra was also present. Late in the evening, Bunty was taken by the police to his house in Attawa. The Congress and AAP leaders, who gathered outside his house, said they were not being allowed to meet him.

However, the Congress released a video in which Bunty is heard saying that he is still with the Congress and wanted to go to Bansal’s residence. The BJP alleged Bunty was made to shoot the video under pressure.

Till now, he was out of station along with other councillors and was brought to the city for withdrawing nomination. Though it was withdrawn before MC Secretary’s staff, it was stated that the withdrawal would not be accepted.

There were also talks that the Congress had stage-managed the episode as the withdrawal could have been done even a minute before voting. Sources said it was to be done as AAP wanted assurance.

AAP’s Neha Musavat and Poonam Sandeep Kumar had also reached the MC office to withdraw their nominations for the posts of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively.