Ludhiana: 2 Bains loyalist Congress councillors among 4 join AAP
With this, now Aam Aadmi Party has 47 members in the 95-member Municipal Corporation house; district Congress president says Jagmeet Singh Noni and Parminder Soma ditched people
Four newly elected councillors from Ludhiana, including two from the Congress, one from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and an independent, have joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). With their inclusion, the AAP now boasts 47 members in the 95-member Ludhiana Municipal Corporation house.
This political reshuffle has strengthened AAP’s position ahead of the crucial mayoral elections, further solidifying its presence in Punjab’s largest city. All eyes are on the face projected by AAP for mayor.
The councillors who joined AAP on Thursday night include Jagmeet Singh Noni and Parminder Soma, both Congress members, and Anita Nanchahal from BJP. Noni and Soma are known loyalists of former MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains who had merged his Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) with the Congress ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. On Friday, independent councillor Ratanjit Kaur Sibia also joined AAP.
Ratanjit Kaur Sibia, who contested from Ward 1, won amidst an internal rebellion within the Congress. Her husband Randhir Singh Sibia had sought a Congress ticket for her, but the bid was reportedly blocked by a former MLA. This discord led her to contest as an independent, where she defeated the Congress candidate in her ward.
In the recent municipal elections, AAP emerged as the largest party, securing 41 of the 95 wards. The Congress won 30 seats, BJP 19, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) 2 and independents 3. However, no party achieved the clear majority required to claim the mayor’s post.
Previously, AAP’s tally had reached 43 after independent councillor Deepa Rani Chaudhary and Congress councillor Jagdish Lal joined the party. Notably, Lal briefly returned to the Congress before rejoining AAP on the same day. SAD councillor Chatarveer Singh, alias Kamal Arora, also joined AAP but later returned to the SAD. The Akali Dal accused AAP of pressuring Arora through a “fake FIR” registered using police machinery, which AAP denied.
When contacted, Sanjay Talwar, former MLA and district Congress president, said Jagmeet Singh Noni and Parminder Soma won on Congress ticket, but they joined AAP after ditching people. Noni, Soma and Ward 6 councillor Jagdish Lal Deesha have been expelled, he said. “I will make sure they don’t join the party in future,” he said, adding that he would request the divisional commissioner for secret voting for mayor.
“AAP MLAs want our supporter to be elected as mayor. Cross-voting within AAP councillors is expected on January 14,” he added.
Efforts to establish contact with former MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains failed.
The mayor’s post in Ludhiana has been reserved for a woman as per the Punjab government’s latest notification. The elections for mayor, deputy mayor and senior deputy mayor are expected to be held on January 14, following the swearing-in of newly elected councillors.