Punjab BJP chief accuses AAP govt of hijacking civic polls, submits memorandum to Governor

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], July 11(ANI): Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Saturday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government of "hijacking" the recently held municipal council elections in Morinda through alleged rigging and manipulation, and said the party has submitted a memorandum to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria seeking intervention.
After meeting the Governor, Dhillon alleged that the elections witnessed unprecedented irregularities and added that the BJP has received a positive response from the Raj Bhavan.
"The issue is that the Punjab government has committed such massive rigging in the recent municipal elections, something unprecedented in the history of any Indian state, and certainly in Punjab over the last 70 years. In places where we held a majority, they ushered their own members inside, bolted the doors, and declared their own candidates elected. They hijacked the election in broad daylight," Dhillon told ANI.
He further alleged that BJP candidates faced obstacles even during the nomination process.
"Even during the nomination filing stage, they forcibly rejected the valid papers of our candidates. We received a very positive response from the Governor. We submitted a memorandum detailing the situation in Punjab. We stand with the people, and we will continue to stand with them," he said.
Dhillon also took a swipe at the Congress over internal differences ahead of a scheduled meeting between AICC General Secretary in-charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel and senior Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi.
"The Congress has no real culture. Their culture is all about the chair of power. Their infighting is solely about the Chief Minister's post. But the Congress is under a huge misconception. The BJP is the one that is going to form the government here, yet they are busy fighting over the CM's seat. Baghel could visit five times or ten times, yet no decision will be reached. They are divided into factions, and they will remain divided," Dhillon said.
The BJP's allegations come a day after former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi accused the AAP government of manipulating the Municipal Council elections in Morinda.
Channi alleged that despite the Congress winning 12 of the 15 seats in the civic body, police prevented Congress councillors from voting and used force against them, allowing an Independent candidate to be declared elected.
He said the Congress would challenge the election outcome before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, alleging that the electoral process had been subverted.
Meanwhile, Bhupesh Baghel is scheduled to meet Channi and other Punjab Congress leaders in Chandigarh amid efforts to address differences within the party's state unit ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. (ANI)