Horse-trading allegations fly thick and fast as power games begin in hung Chandigarh MC House

A hung house, no anti-defection law and the post of mayor up for grabs – it’s an open season for allegations and counter-allegations, as the three main parties that contested the Chandigarh civic body polls set out to secure the mayor’s chair for themselves.

No party got a clear majority, of 18 seats, in the 35-member House, but the AAP emerged the single largest party with 14 seats, the BJP a close second with 12 seats and the Congress secured eight seats. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) got one seat. With the Chandigarh MP also having one vote in the House, and the incumbent MP, Kirron Kher, owing allegiance to the saffron party, the BJP has 13 votes out of the total 36 votes in a full house.

All three parties – AAP, Congress and BJP – have announced that they would put up their candidates for the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.

AAP alleges horse-trading by BJP

Firing the first shots, only a day after the Chandigarh municipal corporation results were announced, AAP alleged that BJP is indulging in horse-trading.

The party’s Punjab co-incharge Raghav Chadha, alleged, “BJP leaders called up and visited three of our 14 councillors. They offered one councillor ₹75 lakh, and ₹50 lakh each to two other councillors; and asked them to join BJP.”

Addressing a press conference at the party’s office in Sector 39, Chadha alleged that a local BJP leader, on the directions of a Union cabinet minister, was asking AAP councillors to join BJP.

When asked why the party didn’t contact the police, Chadha said, “We decided to first inform the public and then go to the police and election commission on the issue.”

Why doesn’t AAP release recordings, asks Sood

Terming AAP’s allegations as “lies and baseless”, Chandigarh BJP state president Arun Sood, said, “AAP is making these fraudulent claims because it is itself actively trying to buy councillors from other parties. Where is the proof for such frivolous allegations; nowadays, everybody has recordings in their phones; why doesn’t AAP release those recordings?”

He further said, “AAP leaders said they would have an AAP mayor. How they are so sure when they don’t have the requisite numbers in the House. Is it because they are indulging in horse-trading with the money they brought from foreign countries?”

Notably, Sood on Monday had said that the BJP will put up its candidate for the mayor’s post and appeal to the people to elect its candidate. “We will not align with anybody or pursue other parties’ councillors. We will only appeal to councillors if they want stable and development-oriented governance, they should opt for BJP candidate.”

Chadha, meanwhile, said that AAP was not in negotiations with any councillor of other parties for the election of mayor.

Cong attacks both BJP and AAP

Chandigarh Congress president Subhash Chawla, alleged, “Both the BJP and AAP are trying to buy out each other’s councillors.”

Attacking AAP, Chawla, said, “AAP press conference is clear indication that they are in panic mode. Installing cameras at their councillors’ house and recording their phone calls only show the party fears its councillors can switch sides and that the party high command doesn’t trust its own councillors.”

Though Chawla admitted that both AAP and BJP leaders contacted the Congress councillors for the mayoral elections, he denied that any offers of posts or money were made to them.