Former CM Charanjit Channi accused the AAP government of Punjab of rigging the Morinda Municipal Council elections. Said that the police beat up the Congress councilors and stopped them from voting. Congress will challenge this decision in the High Court.
Channi accuses AAP government of rigging
Ropar (Punjab) [भारत]July 11 (ANI): Former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday accused Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of rigging the municipal council elections in Morinda. He said the police stopped Congress councilors from voting and used force against them.
Channi claimed that the election process was manipulated to declare an independent candidate the winner despite the Congress securing majority. He said that the party will challenge this result in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He said, “People like Kejriwal and Sisodia have come to Punjab and are running a government which adopts every trick – Sama, Daam, Dand, Bheed – to get their work done. I am from Morinda city.” Channi said, “The Municipal Council elections were held there and our candidates won 12 out of 15 seats; not even a single candidate on the ‘broom’ symbol of the Aam Aadmi Party won. Yet, today their MLA entered the premises and declared an independent candidate the winner. There was no voting – nothing like that happened. When our members went inside, the police beat them brutally; tore their clothes, assaulted them and kept them in separate cells. Due to which they could not cast their vote, we will go to the High Court and fight this battle till the end.
Effort to end discord in Punjab Congress
Earlier on Friday, Channi had confirmed that he would meet AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel at the residence of Congress MLA Rana Gurjit Singh on July 11, indicating a possible softening of the rift between party leaders. “United for Punjab, we have invited Punjab Congress in-charge Bhupesh Baghel ji to convey to him the sentiments of our Congress workers and the people of Punjab on July 11. Rana Gurjit Singh ji will host the meeting at his residence,” Channi posted on Twitter.
This meeting between Bhupesh Baghel and Channi is to be held on Saturday, while former CM and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had skipped the initial meeting. Before the meeting with the Punjab Congress in-charge, Charanjit Channi held a meeting with party leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Pargat Singh, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Barindermeet Singh Pahra and Rana Gurjit Singh.
The rift in the party’s Punjab unit was triggered by the leadership reshuffle, with Amarinder Singh Raja Wadding retaining his post as state Congress president. The Congress leader said that despite differences, the Punjab unit of the party is united ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. (ANI)
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