The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticized Union Minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu for promoting “parivalism” (dynastic politics) as the curtain came down on campaigning for Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections on Thursday.
With polling scheduled for December 21 for the Ludhiana MC elections, CM Mann held a road show in the city on the last day of campaigning. While Mann led the road show himself, addressing people standing alone in his vehicle, the party’s state president Aman Arora and local MLAs whose relatives were given tickets followed in other vehicles.
AAP, once a critic of dynastic politics, has allotted several tickets to the sons, wives and brothers of its MLAs in Ludhiana.
28-year-old lawyer Yuvraj Singh Sidhu, son of Atom Nagar MLA Kulwant Singh Sidhu, has been given a ticket. After being defeated in the previous election on Congress ticket, he is contesting the MC election for the second time.
Aam Aadmi Party candidate Dr Sukhchain Bassi campaigning with her MLA husband Gurpreet Gogi. Chief Minister Mann conducted a road show in his ward. (Express Photo)
Ludhiana Central MLA Ashok Parashar Pappi, who also lost the recent Lok Sabha elections from Ludhiana, has got two tickets for his family. His brother former Congress member and five-time councilor Rakesh Parashar has again been given Aam Aadmi Party ticket. Aam Aadmi Party has also given ticket to Pappy’s wife Meenu Parashar.
Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Gogi’s wife Dr Sukhchain Bassi is also among the AAP candidates, and Ludhiana North MLA Madan Lal Bagga’s son Aman Bagga Khurana, 44, a graduate, who manages his father’s Ahtia business. He is contesting the election for the first time.
With polling scheduled for December 21 for the Ludhiana MC elections, CM Mann held a road show in the city on the last day of campaigning. (Express Photo Gurmeet Singh)
Mann took out a road show in Gogi’s constituency.
Taking a dig at the “nepotism” and VIP culture in AAP, Union Minister Bittu, who is campaigning for the BJP, said: “Chief Minister Saab was in Ludhiana today… I also saw his road show. I was surprised.. He is an Aam Aadmi. Garthi.. and today he was standing alone in the front car. This is the man who mocked Captain Amarinder Singh for promoting VIP culture. Their own state president Aman Arora was in another vehicle, and then after Arora’s vehicle, came our local Ludhiana MLAs whose relatives were given tickets.”
‘This party used to talk about not giving tickets within the family and today Maan saab campaigned only for the family members of his MLA: Gogi’s wife, Pappy’s wife, brother.. Bagga’s son.. Sidhu’s son… People are thinking that this man is his own. His words did not match his actions. Today (Arvind) Kejriwal should have been brought along to see all this. Your own state president Aman Arora cannot stand next to the Chief Minister. He was waiting for the Chief Minister to give him a chance to stand beside him for a minute. I felt bad seeing the condition of a senior leader like Arora,’ said Bittu.
“The fact that the entire AAP leadership was made to ride in a separate vehicle shows their blatant disregard for the Chief Minister. Why can’t they stand with the Chief Minister in the same vehicle? Today, the Chief Minister campaigned only for his own MLA’s family members, including wives, sons and brothers. Where were the AAP volunteers? Even the Aam Aadmi Party volunteers. Know that this is not a party of the common people, but a party of the privileged.”
Aman Bagga Khurana, son of MLA Madanlal Bagga campaigning in his ward. (Express Photo)
In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, AAP failed to win any of the nine assembly constituencies in Ludhiana, despite having its MLAs in all of them. Five segments (all urban) were won by the BJP while four were won by the Congress.
Aam Aadmi Party has nominated candidates in all 95 wards
For the 95-member Ludhiana Municipal Corporation House elections, AAP is contesting in all 95 wards, while BJP has fielded candidates in 90, Congress in 94 and SAD in 78.
Opposition parties have claimed that either their nominations were rejected due to the “superiority” of the AAP government or their candidates could not complete the process on time due to less time.
Why should you buy our membership?
You want to be the smartest in the room.
You want access to our award-winning journalism.
You don’t want to be confused and misinformed.
Choose your subscription package