BJP murdered democracy by not conducting mayoral election: Dr. SS Ahluwalia
BJP fled away fearing India Alliance victory: H.S. Lucky
Chandigarh, January 19, 2024: A Press Conference today by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress jointly under India Alliance regarding the postponed elections of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on January 18. A conference was held which was attended by Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board Chairman and Co-in-charge Chandigarh Dr. SS Ahluwalia, Chandigarh Congress President H.S. Lucky, AAP councilor Damanpreet Singh and Congress councilor Gurbaksh Rawat.
Dr. SS Ahluwalia while speaking in on this occasion, said that the BJP has murdered democracy in the city of Chandigarh. He said that due to BJP’s fearing its defeat, the election of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on January 18 has been deliberately postponed. He said that BJP was already afraid that if AAP and Congress fight the election together, then BJP will have to be out of power. Because of this, BJP was engaged in pushing the elections from day one.
He said that on January 10, the DC of Chandigarh issued a notification for the election of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. After that nomination papers were submitted by AAP, Congress and BJP candidates. On January 14, AAP and Congress decided to fight this election together, which the BJP could not digest.
After this, on January 15, AAP’s senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor candidate and the Congress mayoral candidate went to the office of the secretary of the municipal corporation to withdraw their nomination papers, but at that time the secretary of the municipal corporation had left his office. After that there is was conversation with him on the phone, in which he said to give the letter to his staff to withdraw the nomination papers. After that we gave that letter to their staff and a registration number was issued to us. But along with that, statements started coming from the BJP, that these nomination papers cannot be withdrawn, that the secretary of the municipal corporation was not present there. Due to this, we again went to the municipal corporation office the next day to withdraw the nomination paper. At that time, the BJP leaders reached there with the help of the Chandigarh Police and tried to forcibly take away Congress Mayoral candidate Jasbir Singh Bunty from there. Then Jasbir Simgh Bunty was forcibly taken into custody by the police and locked up in his house.
He further said that the BJP did not stop here, after that the secretary of the municipal corporation was sent on leave on the pretext of illness. The new officer appointed in his place has never picked up our phone till date. He said that after that we appealed to the honorable Punjab and Haryana High Court, that the democracy should be saved by interfering in the Municipal Corporation elections and the Municipal Corporation elections should be conducted in a clean manner. He further said that the limit was crossed when the presiding officer was admitted to the hospital on the pretext of illness on the election day, January 18, and the election was postponed to avoid defeat.
On this occasion Chandigarh Congress President H.S. Lucky said that January 18, 2024 will be known as a black day in the history of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. He said that on the election day on January 18, BJP tried to lift our councilor Jasbir Singh Bunty from the gate of the municipal corporation with the help of Chandigarh police, but that was thwarted by our colleagues. He said that attempts have been made by the BJP from making the administrative officers sick to forcibly removing the councillors. He said that BJP is doing all this anticipating its defeat. Victory and defeat are part of democracy, BJP should accept its defeat.
He further said that during the last eight years, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has been a failure by the BJP. Chandigarh city has been ruined by BJP. He said that we have come together under India Alliance to take Chandigarh city to the heights of development, which is not acceptable to BJP. On this occasion, he also requested the administrator of Chandigarh to intervene and conduct the election of the municipal corporation in a clean manner. He said that the date of re-election has been fixed on 6th February, which is a blatant attack on the democracy of residents of the city.
On this occasion, AAP councilor Damanpreet Singh said that Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has been built for councillors, but on January 18, BJP did not allow the councilors to enter with the help of the police. This has never happened before in the history of Chandigarh. He said that the BJP should not adopt wrong tactics, accept its defeat and let the municipal corporation elections take place.
