Abohar Mayor poll row: BJP claims mandate stolen after AAP victory
A fierce political confrontation erupted in Punjab's Abohar on Friday after the election of the Municipal Corporation Mayor, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing
A fierce political confrontation erupted in Punjab's Abohar on Friday after the election of the Municipal Corporation Mayor, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of engineering the outcome despite allegedly lacking the numbers to secure the post. The controversy centres on the composition of the 50-member Abohar Municipal Corporation. According to the BJP, it emerged as the single largest party in the civic polls with 28 councillors, while AAP secured 20 seats. The Congress and an Independent won one seat each. However, when voting for the mayor's post took place, the AAP candidate reportedly secured 27 votes and was elected Mayor, prompting the BJP to allege cross-voting and serious irregularities in the electoral process.
Read Full Story BJP leaders claimed that the mayoral election was initially scheduled for July 7 but was postponed by the local administration without any official explanation. The party alleged that the delay was part of a deliberate effort to alter the political equation and facilitate an AAP victory. Describing the outcome as a "murder of democracy", BJP leaders accused the Punjab government of using administrative machinery to overturn the mandate delivered by voters in the municipal elections. The party argued that the result was inconsistent with the strength of elected councillors and demanded an explanation from authorities. Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar launched a sharp attack on the ruling party, alleging that AAP had been attempting to derail the mayoral election ever since it failed to emerge as the largest party in the civic polls.
Jakhar claimed that the ruling party had resorted to "fraudulent and underhanded means" to secure control of the municipal corporation. He further alleged that AAP was trying to sabotage the election process and said the BJP would not succumb to what he described as a political conspiracy orchestrated by the state government. Following the declaration of the results, BJP leaders and hundreds of party workers staged a protest outside the Municipal Corporation office in Abohar. Protesters raised slogans against the state government and demanded that the election be annulled. The BJP has called for a fresh mayoral election under what it termed a fully transparent process, including CCTV surveillance or live-camera monitoring of the proceedings. Party leaders alleged that the democratic mandate had been subverted and insisted that a re-election was necessary to restore public confidence.
The BriefWire