Ditching AAP at 11th hour cost Ashu Banger dear

Ferozepur, March 13

Leaving the AAP in the lurch at the eleventh hour proved costly for turncoat Ashu Banger, who despite being allocated the ticket by the party from the Ferozepur Rural seat jumped ship overnight to join the Congress, only to lose by a huge margin of 27,746 votes.

In an apparent setback to the AAP, the party nominee from Ferozepur Rural was presented before the media by the Congress, just days ahead of the filing of nomination papers. Sitting next to then CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Banger had minced no words in ridiculing the AAP leadership for allegedly accepting money in lieu of allotting the party ticket. Banger had also accused the AAP of nepotism and corruption.

No regrets

I have no regrets. I had worked hard for the party. I still stand by my charges levelled against the party. — Ashu Banger, Congress

Notwithstanding criticism from within the party, Banger was later given the ticket by the Congress from the segment, denying nomination to sitting MLA Satkar Kaur Gehri, who had won the previous polls by over 20,000 votes.

The AAP subsequently replaced Banger with Rajnish Dahiya, an advocate. Dahiya was asleep when he got a surprise call from AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to get ready to contest the elections in place of Banger and the rest is history. Sources said had Banger contested on the AAP ticket, he would have won comfortably, but he committed a “political suicide” by ditching the party at the last moment.

Banger lost trust of his AAP supporters and could not win over Congress workers, too, who had opposed his entry into the party tooth and nail. Even Satkat Kaur reportedly supported the AAP, due to which she was eventually suspended by the Congress.

On his part, Banger said he had no regrets about leaving the AAP ahead of the elections. and he still stood by his charges levelled against the party. —