Parties may find the going tough in civic body elections

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, October 13

Though the Punjab government has decided to conduct municipal elections in November, political parties are not yet prepared for the polls. New equations have emerged in the Congress after a major friction. More than 25 councillors out of 64 left the party and joined AAP during the last term. Meanwhile, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) may also face a tough situation while awarding party tickets as several aspirants stake claims. There is no single party in the city which can claim that they are in a strong position. Though the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal have booth level cadres, the AAP is still struggling to strengthen its ground level workers. All major political parties are almost in the same position and they have to work hard to win the municipal elections.

In the previous MC elections, the Congress emerged as the party with the most number of seats by winning 64 seats and getting a majority. The Congress was ruling in the state which contributed to the party’s victory. However, before the state assembly elections in 2022, the Congress Mayor Karmjeet Singh Rintu shifted his loyalty to AAP and also arranged the support of 38 former councillors by joining AAP. Now almost all these 38 former councillors are aspirants for a ticket from the Aam Aadmi Party. They are in conflict with AAP volunteers who claim that they have been working for the party since its beginning and turncoats should not be awarded party tickets.

However, there is no booth level preparation by AAP but there are five to 10 aspirants for party ticket in every ward. Finding suitable candidates for the wards and deciding on tickets for former councillors would be tough for the AAP leadership. “The general perception is that the ruling party in state emerges victorious in civic body elections. So every volunteer and turncoat from the other party is expecting an AAP ticket,” said Kuljeet Singh, a local politician.

Internal friction between senior leadership and the shift of Mayor and other councillors to AAP weakens the Congress in city. Senior leader and former Deputy CM OP Soni is in jail and Cabinet Minister Rajkumar Verka left the party and now re-joins the Congress. Party heavyweight Navjot Singh Sidhu is inactive in local politics after returning from jail. The Congress does not have any face which can unite the party.

In the last municipal elections, the Akali Dal had contested in alliance with the BJP and won 7 out of 35 seats. However, at present, the Akali Dal has only three former councillors, the others have joined AAP. District president of SAD urban unit Gurpratap Tikka has recently shifted to the BJP. The Akalis are not in a strong position in this election. While the BJP contested on 50 seats in alliance with the Akalis, it had six councillors. Now, three of these councillors have left the party. It would be tough for the BJP to find strong candidates for all 85 wards.

Councillors turn ticket aspirants

Before the state assembly elections in 2022, Congress Mayor Karmjeet Singh Rintu shifted his loyalty to AAP and also arranged the support of 38 former councillors by joining AAP. Now, almost all these 38 former councillors are aspirants for a ticket from the Aam Aadmi Party.