cong-betrayed-us-aap-on-losing-chandigarh-mayoral-polls

AAP blamed the Congress for the shock defeat of its candidate for the post of mayor in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation election that took place here.  

It alleged that some of the Congress councillors indulged in cross-voting, resulting in BJP's Harpreet Kaur Babla being elected as the new mayor in the high-stakes election. 

 

BJP's Babla secured 19 votes while AAP's Prem Lata got 17 votes.

 

The defeat of the AAP-Congress alliance came despite both parties having 20 votes in the 35-member House. A total of 19 votes are required to win the poll.

 

The AAP was fighting for the post of mayor while the Congress was contesting for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. The AAP-backed Congress candidates won both the posts.

 

Also read: BJP's Harpreet Kaur Babla is Chandigarh's new Mayor

 

Reacting to the poll outcome, AAP senior leader and spokesperson Neel Garg accused Congress councillors of cross-voting. The Congress councillors betrayed us, he said.

 

He added that the Congress and the BJP acted in collusion. "This incident has made it completely clear. Both are two sides of the same coin," he said.

 

"The AAP councillors supported the Congress nominees. Their deputy mayor and senior deputy mayor were elected with our votes," he said.

Garg appealed to the people of Delhi not to vote for the Congress in the February 5 Assembly polls.

 

"We want to tell voters of Delhi that they should not waste their votes by voting for Congress." 

 

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the Congress and the BJP formed an "unethical alliance" for the mayoral elections.

 

"Instead of honouring their alliance with AAP, @INCIndia stabbed us in the back and formed an 'unethical' alliance with @BJP4India for these posts," he said on X.

 

"The real reason behind this alliance is the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, where AAP's victory is certain due to massive public support and the politics of work. Out of fear, these two parties -- limited to divisive politics -- are resorting to such tricks, but they will never succeed," he said.

 

Cheema said, "We fulfilled our duty, which is why Congress candidates were elected to the posts of deputy mayor and senior deputy mayor. Congress has betrayed us. Congress councillors indulged in cross-voting, leading to BJP's Mayor being elected."