4 Jalandhar BJP councillors switch to AAP

Jalandhar, September 13

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Having earlier roped in Congress’ Deputy Mayor Harsimranjit Singh Banti, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday inducted all four sitting BJP councillors from the Jalandhar West constituency.

Party to take call on ticket

They have all joined unconditionally. The decision on whether to give them tickets for the MC polls rests with the party. They will closely monitor their working and graph and accordingly take decisions. — Sheetal Angural, Jalandhar West MLA

3 decade-old ties severed

We are definitely seeing better working conditions in AAP and hence we have joined the party. Our family was associated with the BJP for three decades but we had to take the decision in the interest of the masses from our area. — Amit Singh Sandha

The four MC councillors joined AAP in the presence of Local Bodies Minister Inderbir Singh Nijjer at Circuit House. These included Viresh Mintu, Shveta Dhir, Anita and Chanderjit Kaur Sandha of Ward No.73. Some local officer-bearers and leaders, who too switched from the saffron party to AAP, were Vaneet Dhir, Amit Singh Sandha, Saurav Seth and Prabhdyal.

Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural, who has earlier been a BJP leader before switching to AAP and winning the Assembly polls this year, took the credit for these joinings. He said, “I have managed to rope in all four BJP councillors of my constituency into my party. They all were my supporters earlier. They were already attached to me and had supported me in my elections. They saw my working and that of the party and expressed their desire to join AAP.”

The MC councilors, too, addressed mediapersons at the Circuit House. Shveta Dhir said she was feeling suffocated in the party. “My party never gave us our due respect. The organisational structure was no longer in place. Senior leaders never paid heed to us till a few days ago when they got to know that we were moving. They tried to dissuade us from joining but I told them that it was too late now,” she said.

Couple Amit Singh Sandha and Chanderjit Sandha said, “We are definitely seeing better working conditions in AAP and hence we have joined the party. Our family was associated with the BJP for three decades but we had to take the decision in the interest of the masses from our area.”

Amid a buzz that even Congress Mayor Jagdish Raja and his councillor wife Anita Raja could join AAP, Jalandhar Central MLA Raman Arora, too, hinted that a big shift was expected from his constituency in the days to come.