MC poll ticket may prove elusive for party hoppers

Though political parties have been conducting meetings to decide their prospective candidates for the upcoming MC elections, the turncoats may well turn out to have disappointment in store for them. Around 25 Congress councillors along with the Mayor in the previous General House had shifted their loyalty to the Aam Aadmi Party before and after the formation of government by AAP in the state. Not only the Congress, some councillors from Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party had also joined the Aam Aadmi Party. These former councillors, who joined the AAP, were not politically much active during the previous two years but are now aspirants for the party ticket. However, their claims in the AAP were opposed by the old AAP volunteers on party platforms last year. The old volunteers of AAP claim that they have worked to establish the party among the masses and the party should give tickets to them. They oppose party tickets to the turncoats.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders claim that no turncoat would be awarded a party ticket. The leaders of District Congress Committee and senior office-bearers of the previous General House claimed that some of the former Congress councillors wanted to rejoin the party and some are expecting a party ticket from AAP. In case, AAP denies them tickets, they will return to the Congress. In both cases, doors of the party are open for them but they will not get party tickets.

Ashwani Kumar, district president of Congress (Urban) said, “We have conducted a meeting with senior leaders at Chandigarh and it has been decided there that no turncoat will be awarded party tickets. We have second rung leadership in each ward, where former councillors had left the party. They worked hard and we will give tickets to young workers.”