The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Chandigarh): In a significant political development, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced the return of two of its councillors to the party ranks in Chandigarh, marking their brief departure to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a short-lived episode. Poonam Devi and Neha Musawat, both serving councillors of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, have declared their re-affiliation with AAP as a “ghar wapsi” or a homecoming, emphasizing their renewed commitment to the party’s principles and leadership.
This turnaround comes in the wake of their defection to the BJP less than a month prior, a move they made alongside Gurcharan Kala, another AAP councillor. The AAP Punjab’s official X handle warmly welcomed their return, highlighting the involvement of prominent party figures such as @RajbirGhumanAAP, Officer on Special Duty to the Punjab Chief Minister, and Dr. S.S. Ahluwalia, Sah-Prabhari of AAP Chandigarh, in facilitating their reintegration into the party.
The context of their initial departure to the BJP aligns closely with a contentious moment in Chandigarh’s political landscape, specifically the controversy surrounding the mayoral election. Their defection occurred just a day before a Supreme Court reprimand directed at the returning officer for alleged ballot tampering and undue interference in the electoral process, casting a shadow over the BJP’s subsequent victories in the Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections.
Despite these challenges, the BJP managed to secure both positions in the recent elections, with Kuljeet Singh Sandhu and Rajendra Kumar Sharma winning the Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts, respectively. The electoral dynamics in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation saw a brief shift in favor of the BJP following the defection of three AAP councillors, enhancing the BJP-led bloc’s position in the 35-member council.
This episode underscores the fluid nature of political allegiances within the local governance framework of Chandigarh, highlighting the ongoing struggles and negotiations between major political entities as they vie for influence and control within the municipal corporation.
