Jolt for BJP, it’s AAP aaye bahar aayi for Oberois

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 30

There has been a major shift in political equations in the Municipal Corporation House with as many as six councillors joining a new party ahead of the Assembly polls.

The biggest upheaval took place today with Deputy Mayor Arvinder Kaur Oberoi switching over from the Akali Dal to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Her husband and former councillor Kuldeep Oberoi of ward 29 too went along in support of AAP candidate Dr Sanjeev Sharma. His joining is being seen as a major setback for the BJP MLA and candidate Manoranjan Kalia as Oberoi has a huge following in the old city market areas, including Rainak Bazaar, Atari Bazaar and Phagwara Gate.

Darshan Bhagat, an independent councillor, who had left the BJP after being denied the MC election ticket in 2012, is already an AAP candidate from Jalandhar West and is contesting against Congress councillor Sushil Rinku and independent candidate Surinder Mahey, who too has been a former Mayor. Now, it is ex-Mayor versus two councillors from this seat.

A few days back, Congress councillor Bal Krishan Bali, who had been seeking a ticket for himself from the Jalandhar North seat, had also joined AAP. Bali represented a dynamic group of councillors along with Rinku, who is from the camp opposed to former minister Avtar Henry. Henry’s son Bawa Henry is the Congress candidate from the seat.

Two councillors have moved to the Congress. Mandeep Jassal (independent councillor from ward 13) had joined the Congress during the recent visit of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Capt Amarinder Singh. Amit Dhall, who too was an independent councillor, has returned to the Congress fold from SAD, where he remained for two years. Amit is a cousin of Dinesh Dhall, who had contested independently against Avtar Henry in the last elections.

Sarabjit Kaur, councillor from ward 56, who had won on PPP ticket, is now with the Congress ever since the party merged.

Two councillors, Banti Neelkanth and Parminder Kaur Pannu, have not left their parent parties— Congress and Akali Dal— even as their close kin have moved to the other parties. Banti’s brother Babbu Neelkanth was an aspirant from Jalandhar Central seat from AAP. He is now helping Jalandhar Cantonment candidate HS Walia. Pannu’s brother-in-law Pargat Singh left SAD and is now the Congress candidate from Jalandhar Cantonment, but continues to maintain her position in the Akali Dal.