Councillor does U-turn, rejoins Cong hours after leaving party

Politics in Amritsar took a dramatic turn when Congress councillor Dr Avtar, who joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Chandigarh on Monday morning, did a volte-face and returned back to the Congress fold by evening. Dr Avtar, councillor from Ward No. 72, and Shivani, councillor from Ward No. 79, had earlier quit the Congress and joined AAP in the presence of state party president Aman Arora and Mayor Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia. AAP leaders welcomed them, saying it showed the increasing trust of elected representatives in the “pro-people policies” of the party.

However, within hours, Dr Avtar changed his mind. By evening, he rejoined the Congress, saying he had been under pressure and never really intended to leave the party. Senior Congress leader and former minister Raj Kumar Verka helped bring him back to Congress fold. The episode comes at a time when the Municipal Corporation (MC) mayoral election is under dispute in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Congress has alleged irregularities in the January 27 elections, in which AAP’s Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia was elected the Mayor. The next hearing is scheduled for September 29. With the court case going on, the support of every councillor has become important for both the parties.

The sudden switch embarrassed AAP, which had earlier celebrated the induction, and also highlighted the uncertainty within the Congress. Political observers say such quick U-turns reflect the unstable situation in the MC House. In the 85-member MC House, the Congress has 40 councillors, AAP 24, BJP 9, Shiromani Akali Dal 4 and Independents 8. Though the Congress is the single largest party, AAP managed to secure the mayor’s post earlier this year.