Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh is believed to have suffered a major setback ahead of the Kapurthala Mayor election. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has reportedly secured the support of 10 to 15 councillors linked to the Congress leader before Wednesday's election.
According to reports, the councillors were taken by AAP leaders to an undisclosed location in Hoshiarpur on Tuesday evening. The move was reportedly aimed at preventing them from being contacted or persuaded to return before the election.
AAP is expected to field Mansu, who was elected as a Congress councillor and is considered a close aide of Rana Gurjeet Singh, as its candidate for Mayor. The election is scheduled to take place at 3 pm at the Municipal Corporation office in Shalimar Bagh.
In the municipal elections held last month, the Congress won 31 out of 50 wards, giving it a comfortable majority. Rana Gurjeet Singh had expressed confidence that his councillors would remain united and help the party retain control of the Municipal Corporation.
AAP had won only 11 seats in the election. Since then, the party has reportedly gained the support of three councillors each from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP, along with one Independent councillor, taking its strength to 18. Reports also claim that AAP later managed to win over 10 more councillors. It has been alleged that some councillors or their family members faced pressure through departmental raids. Hoshiarpur MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal is said to have played a key role in the party's strategy.
The developments have increased concerns within the Congress camp and for Rana Gurjeet Singh ahead of the mayoral election. Reports said Rana has switched off his phone, while Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal has also not responded to calls.
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