Turncoat ex-councillors remain elusive from election campaign

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, May 25

A number of former councillors, who shifted their loyalty from the Congress to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are not active in the ongoing election campaign. They are considered a misfit in the new party. Some of them have returned to the Congress fold.

Besides, former Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu, who had joined the AAP before the Assembly elections is also inactive in the poll campaign. He is not seen on any party platform.

There were total of 33 municipal corporation councillors from the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), who had joined the AAP after the formation of its government in the state. Out of these councillors, 25 are from the Congress. Recently, former councillors Nisha Dhillon and Talwinder Kaur re-joined the Congress.

Turncoats don’t get recognition and respect in a new party. There are some councillors, who shifted their loyalty to three parties within one year. After Lok Sabha results, they would again approach victorious parties to get a ticket for the local bodies elections. They plan their moves to stay in power. Regular shuffling of parties spoils political career. —Kuljeet Singh, An activist

Former Deputy Mayor and senior Congress leader Raman Bakshi claimed that several former councillors, who had joined the AAP were now willing to return to the parent party, which had made a strict policy for turncoats.

“The Congress has made a policy for the turncoats. The people with clean image are welcome into the party fold. There are some former councillors, involved in ill deeds, joined the AAP to save their skin. We will not allow them to come back to the party. How can we can we believe that they would stay with us in the future,” said Bakshi.

A few former councillors, who left the Congress and joined the AAP last year, further joined the BJP after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections.

“Turncoats don’t get recognition and respect in a new party. There are some councillors, who shifted their loyalty to three parties within one year. After Lok Sabha results, they would again go to victorious parties to get a ticket for the local bodies elections. They plan their moves to stay in power. However, only a few turncoats get respect and recognition. Such regular shuffling of parties spoils political career,” said Kuljeet Singh, an activist.