AAP ‘deliberately delaying’ voter lists for MC elections: SAD, BJP

The Shiromani Akali Dal has accused the AAP government of deliberately withholding crucial information to skew the election in its favor

With the Ludhiana municipal corporation elections set for December 21, political parties and candidates are in disarray due to the delayed release of updated voter lists. The holdup, linked to the recent ward delimitation process, has drawn strong criticism from opposition parties, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), who accuse the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of deliberately stalling the process.

The SAD and BJP have urged the government to release the updated voter lists without further delay to ensure a fair and transparent election process (HT File)

Candidates contesting the elections say they are still in the dark about the boundaries of their respective wards due to the unavailability of the final voter lists, leaving them unable to plan their campaigns effectively or connect with voters.

Rajinder Dhiman, district president of the BJP, lambasted the AAP government for its handling of the situation, calling the delay a sign of incompetence. “The absence of voter lists at this critical juncture is a clear indication of the AAP government’s inability to conduct free and fair elections,” Dhiman said. “Candidates are being left in confusion regarding their ward boundaries, creating unnecessary hurdles ahead of the polls.”

“Earlier, candidates only needed an NOC from the municipal corporation. Now, they are being forced to obtain documents from the electricity, income tax, and GST departments — requirements that are not even mandated for municipal elections. This is a clear attempt to discourage opposition candidates,” Dhiman alleged.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) echoed similar concerns, accusing the AAP government of deliberately withholding crucial information to skew the election in its favor.

Senior SAD leader Bhupinder Singh Bhinda suggested that the delay in publishing the voter lists was a deliberate move to disadvantage opposition candidates. “The AAP government is deliberately stalling the release of the updated voter lists to create confusion and gain an unfair advantage in these elections,” Bhinda claimed.

As the election date approaches, opposition parties have urged the government to release the updated voter lists without further delay to ensure a fair and transparent election process.