CHANDIGARH: Two days after the ruling AAP secured a clear majority only in the Patiala Municipal Corporation (MC) among the five cities that went to polls, the party on Monday sought to secure a clear majority by inducting new members from rival parties and independents. The elected members came to increase their vote share and even demanded the post of mayor of Jalandhar.
The AAP failed to get magic numbers in Jalandhar and Ludhiana MCs, while the Congress emerged as the largest political group in the Phagwara Municipal Corporation (MC) results announced soon after the December 21 polling process.
AAP MP and senior spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said: “This also shows that people are happy with the policies of the AAP government. Many other independent MPs have approached the AAP and may join in the coming days. They realize that there are still two independent MPs join in.
On Monday, Phagwara MC’s Independent MP Harpreet Singh Bhogal (Ward 10) joined the AAP in the presence of the party’s Hoshiarpur MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal and Anandpur Sahib MP Malvinder Singh Kang.
Similarly, in Jalandhar, five MLAs, including two Congress MLAs (Manmeet Kaur), joined the party in the presence of Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Wasan), BJP MP Sulekha and two independents (Tarsem Singh and Seema).
In Jalandhar, despite emerging as the single largest party, AAP failed to reach a majority of 43 seats. The DAP won 38 of the 85 seats in the Jalandhar district assembly election, followed by the Congress with 25 seats and the BJP with 18 seats. The Socialist Party of the Philippines won one seat, while independents won two seats.
“The path has been cleared for AAP to elect the mayor in Jalandhar constituency with five councilors joining the party. With this, AAP has achieved a magical majority in the constituency,” a party leader said.
Similarly, in Phagwara, the Congress took the lead by winning 22 seats out of 50 wards, followed by the AAP, which won 12 seats. The BJP won four constituencies, while the Samajwadi Party and the Janata Party won three constituencies each. Six independents also won in the Phagwara MC polls.
‘Those who join the party Very impressed with AAP development project’
In Ludhiana, newly elected independent MP Deepa Rani Chaudhary (ward 11) joined the Aam Aadmi Party in the presence of Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Brar on Monday. The party has also demanded the mayor’s post of Ludhiana MC.
“AAP performed well in the civic elections and now leaders of other political parties and independents are keen to join the party as they are impressed by the development projects of the AAP government,” a party spokesman said.
Out of the 95 seats in Ludhiana constituency, AAP won 41 seats, Congress won 30 seats and the BJP won 19 seats. seats.
