Turmoil, rebellion to fore in city AAP

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 30

Turmoil and rebellion in the city AAP came to the fore after the party released its first list of 26 candidates for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections, scheduled for December 24.

AAP, which already has its election committee chairman Chandermukhi Sharma distancing himself from party activities, today saw a slew of resignations.

Alleging that old party workers were ignored and Congress deserters were given the ticket for the elections, several angry leaders today resigned from the party.

A few of them announced to contest the poll against the party candidates. AAP workers, led by Zora Singh, even burnt an effigy of senior party leaders in Sector 25 here.

“Arvind Kejriwal promised of clean politics, which is different from the existing parties. On the contrary, people with shady background were given the ticket. Those, who came from the Congress a month or two ago, were adjusted, while workers associated with the party for 8-10 years were ignored. Ticket was sold,” alleged Zora, who is associated with the party since 2013. Zora said he would contest the elections as an Independent from Ward No. 16 to ensure the defeat of the AAP candidate.

Amit Kumar Sunny from Ward No. 26 (Dadu Majra) said: “Almost all Congressmen, who recently joined AAP, were accommodated. Leaders with honest and clean image were ignored. The party is now officially Congress 2. We will contest independently.”

Upset with the development, Sanjeev Kochar, vice-president of AAP, Chandigarh, said: “I will contest as an Independent candidate from Ward No. 32 as the party nominee is an outsider.”

Surinder Kaur from Ward No. 1 (Khuda Lahora), said: “I have been associated with the party for the past five years. I was the vice-president of the AAP’s women wing. I was removed from the post after former Congress president Pardeep Chhabra joined the party. People, who joined the city AAP 20-25 days ago, hijacked the party and got the ticket. This is the story almost in all wards. Loyalists of Harmohan Dhawan, Prem Garg and Chhabra got the ticket. People like us who were from AAP and had no godfather were shown the door.”

“I will stay in the party as I was not here only for contesting poll. But what they did has demoralised old workers,” she said.

Sources told Chandigarh Tribune that 11 loyalists of Chhabra, nine of Garg and five of Dhawan have been given the ticket.

Party convener Garg said: “We had several suitable candidates in each ward. It is obvious if someone does not get the ticket, he/she might be angry. It is just an initial response from them. We will involve them in the party.”

“The ticket was not decided by any leader, but was based on the surveys conducted by the high command,” he claimed.

Chandermukhi said: “I am in the party, but I have no involvement in deciding the list of candidates.”

Candidate’s husband

has a criminal past

Sandeep, husband of Ward No. 16 candidate Poonam Kumari has a criminal past. Cases under the NDPS Act and the Arms Act cases are registered against him, a resident of Sector 25. However, Sandeep claimed: “No case has been registered against me in the past five years. I got acquitted in all cases before 2016.” He was shot at last month.

Top 3 leaders told to fight poll

Amid infighting report, the AAP High Command on Tuesday asked all three top Chandigarh party leaders to contest the MC poll. Party convener Prem Garg, co-incharge Pardeep Chhabra and election committee in-charge Chandermukhi Sharma have been asked to contest the elections. Sources said Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal gave directions to the city unit after reports of groupism. This has come as a surprise for the trio, who did not expect this. The three were earlier not in a mood of contenting the poll. Chandermukhi is expected to contest from Ward No. 2, while Chhabra is expected to fight from Ward No. 17. Garg, who has his vote in Panchkula, may find it as an excuse for not contesting the poll. The party may ask him to shift his vote to Chandigarh. However, Garg said: “We have got the directions, but will hold a meeting on Wednesday to decide further.”