3 Cong councillors join AAP in Phagwara; seat count rises to 18, still 8 short of majority in House

The Congress’s dream of securing the mayor’s seat in the Phagwara Municipal Corporation seems to be shattered when three senior Congress councillors, including Block Congress Committee president Munish Parbhakar (Ward 20) Ram Paul Uppal (Ward 18) and Padam Dev Sudhir Nikka (2), and former Block Congress Committee president Pawan Sharma today joined the Aam Aadmi Party.

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The shifting was orchestrated by MP Rajkumar Chabbewal along with Phagwara constituency in-charge Joginder Singh Mann, Punjab spokesperson Harnur Singh Mann and senior AAP leader Daljit Singh Raju.

The Congress Councillors also announced their allegiance to AAP. The party also welcomed Youth Congress leaders Rajan Sharma, Arjun Sudhir and Karan Uppal in its fold.

This unexpected development has left the Congress short of the majority, it previously had, with AAP now commanding 18 councillors in the MC. AAP had won 12 seats in the MC elections held on December 21.

Later, two Independents Inderjit (Ward 26) and HS Bhogal (10) joined AAP, then BJP councillor Paramjit Singh Khurana (Ward 48) joined AAP on January 27 but today, with the joining of three Congress councillors, AAP’s number has risen to 18.

However, the party is still eight members short of the 26-seat majority required to claim the Mayor’s position.

Speculation is rife that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), with three councillors each, may extend support to AAP. There are also whispers of more opposition councillors considering switching to the party, potentially altering the city’s political landscape further.

The shift is a significant blow to the Congress, particularly to MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, who had earlier asserted his party’s unity and dismissed AAP’s potential to poach councillors. The development highlights the Congress’s internal challenges and AAP’s growing influence in Punjab’s local politics.

Meanwhile, it was observed that the Congress had still 19 elected councillors, one vote of the Congress MLA and the support of three BSP councillors and more than three Independents.

On the one hand, Chabbewal himself camping at Phagwara and, on the other side, Phagwara MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal is constantly in touch with the Congress high command.

Meanwhile, reviewing the petition of a Congress councillor Bikram Singh (Ward 50) the High Court has taken a stern stand about the postponement of the MC elections on January 25.

Taking serious note of this lapse, the High Court has summoned the Divisional Commissioner to appear before the court tomorrow on January 29.